Bernhard Rensch

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Bernhard Rensch
Darwin-Wallace Medal (Silver, 1958)
Scientific career
FieldsOrnithology

Bernhard Rensch (21 January 1900 – 4 April 1990) was a German

geographically isolated populations and on evolution above the species level, which contributed to the modern synthesis, he also worked extensively in the area of animal behavior (ethology) and on philosophical aspects of biological science. His education and scientific work were interrupted by service in the German military during both World War I and World War II
.

Biography

Rensch was born in

polytypic species and of complexes of closely related species with attention to how local environmental factors, especially climate, influenced their evolution.[3] In 1929 he published the book Das Prinzip geographischer Rassenkreise und das Problem der Artbildung that discussed the relationship between geography and speciation. His work in this area would influence Ernst Mayr, who was also an assistant at the museum from 1927 to 1930, and would contribute to the development of the modern evolutionary synthesis.[4] In 1937 he was forced to leave the museum because he refused to join the Nazi party, and took a position at a zoological garden in Münster.[2] In 1940 he was recalled for military service, but was discharged for medical reasons in 1942.[5][6]

In 1947 he published a book that would later be translated into English under the title Evolution above the species level.

taxa. He introduced the concept of Artenkreis (which Mayr translated as a "superspecies" and defined as "a monophyletic group of closely related and largely or entirely allopatric species”). It was considered a major document in the modern synthesis. That same year he became chairman of the zoology department and director of the zoological institute at the University of Münster. In 1953 he would take part in a zoological expedition to India. Later in his career he would work extensively in the areas of animal behavior (ethology), learning, and memory.[3] Rensch also wrote on human behaviour and he suggested that the human evolutionary connection with organisms would lead to sympathy. He published an autobiography in 1979 and remained scientifically active until his death in 1990.[2][6]

Biological rules

Main article: Rensch's rule

Rensche sought out

Gloger's Rule, and proposed what is now called Rensch's rule in 1950.[8] It is an allometric law about the relationship between sexual size dimorphism and which sex is larger. It observes that across species size dimorphism increases with increasing body size when the male is the larger sex, and decreases with increasing average body size when the female is the larger sex.[9]

Awards and recognition

He was awarded the

Darwin-Wallace Medal
in 1958.

Since 2004, the Society for Biological Systematics (GfBS, Germany) has awarded the Bernhard Rensch prize for achievements of young scientists, writing in German or English, in the field of systematics and biodiversity research.[10]

A species of Indonesian lizard, Cryptoblepharus renschi, is named in his honor.[11]

Works

This is a select list of books alone and includes English translations.

  • (1930) Eine biologische Reise nach den kleinen Sunda-Inseln. Berlin: Bornträger
  • (1947) Neuere Probleme der Abstammungslehre. F. Enke. 1947.
  • (1947) Evolution above the Species Level. London: Methuen. (German original 1947; 3rd enlarged ed. 1972.)[12]
  • (1971) Biophilosophy. New York: Columbia University Press. (German original 1968.)
  • (1972) Homo sapiens: From Man to Demigod. London: Methuen. (German original 1959.)
  • (1973) Gedächtnis, Begriffsbildung und Planhandlungen bei Tieren. Berlin: Parey.
  • (1979) Lebensweg eines Biologen in einem turbulenten Jahrhundert. Stuttgart: Fischer.
  • (1979) Gesetzlichkeit, psychophysischer Zusammenhang, Willensfreiheit und Ethik. Berlin: Duncker and Humblot.
  • (1984) Psychologische Grundlagen der Wertung bildender Kunst. Essen: Die blaue Eule.
  • (1985) Biophilosophical Implications of Inorganic and Organismic Evolution. Essen: Die blaue Eule.

References

  1. S2CID 9778455
    .
  2. ^
    JSTOR 4088279
    .
  3. ^ a b Smith, Charles H. "Rensch, Bernhard (Carl Emmanuel) (Germany 1900–1990)". Western Kentucky University. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  4. ISBN 0-674-27225-0
    .
  5. ISBN 0-674-27225-0
    .
  6. ^
    S2CID 85136969.[permanent dead link
    ]
  7. ^ Rensch B. 1947. Evolution above the species level. Columbia, N.Y.
  8. ^ Rensch, B. (1950). "Die Abhangigkeit der relativen Sexualdifferenz von der Korpergrosse" (PDF). Bonner Zoologische Beiträge. 1: 58–69.[permanent dead link]
  9. doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.28.1.659
    .
  10. ^ "Auszeichnungen: Bernhard Rensch-Preis". Gesellschaft für Biologische Systematik. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  11. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5
    . ("Rensch", p. 220).
  12. JSTOR 666710
    .
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