Reginald Crundall Punnett

Born in 1875, Reginald Crundall Punnett became one of the early leaders of modern genetics in Britain. He studied at Cambridge and later served there as a fellow and researcher, working during the period when Mendelian heredity was being established as a major scientific idea.

Punnett is best remembered for the Punnett square, the simple diagram still used to show how inherited traits may appear in offspring. He also carried out important breeding research, especially with poultry, and worked closely with other major geneticists of his time, including William Bateson.

Beyond his research, he helped make genetics easier to understand for students and general readers. His writing and teaching played a big part in turning a new and sometimes confusing field into something more clear, practical, and widely taught. He died in 1967.