author
William E. (William Ernest) Castle
1867–1962
A pioneer of early genetics, this American zoologist helped bring the study of heredity into modern experimental science through careful work with mammals. His research and teaching shaped the field in the United States during its formative years.
1 Audiobook
Piebald rats and selection : An experimental test of the effectiveness of selection and of the theory of gametic purity in Mendelian crosses
by William E. (William Ernest) Castle, John C. (John Charles) Phillips
About the author
Born in Ohio in 1867, he became one of the early American scientists to build genetics into a serious experimental discipline. He studied at Denison University, later joined Harvard, and was especially known for research on inheritance in animals.
His work focused on mammals such as mice and other breeding populations, helping scientists test and refine ideas about heredity, variation, and selection in the decades after Mendel's laws were rediscovered. He was widely recognized as an important figure in the development of genetics in the United States.
Later in his career, he was also associated with the University of California. He died in 1962, leaving behind a body of work closely tied to the early history of modern genetics.