Lynn Margulis

Lynn Margulis (born Lynn Petra Alexander; March 5, 1938 – November 22, 2011) was an American evolutionary biologist, science author, educator, and popularizer in the field of biology. She is best known for her theory on symbiogenesis, which challenges the traditional view of evolution.

Early Life and Education

Margulis was born in Chicago, Illinois, to a Jewish, Zionist family. She completed her bachelor's degree in liberal arts from the University of Chicago in 1957. She later earned a master's degree in genetics and zoology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1960, and a Ph.D. in genetics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1965.

Career

Margulis started her career as a research associate at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1966, she moved to Boston University, where she taught biology for 22 years. In 1988, she joined the University of Massachusetts Amherst as a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Biology and the Department of Geosciences until her death in 2011.

Symbiogenesis

Margulis is best known for her theory of symbiogenesis, which proposes that symbiotic relationships between organisms of often different phyla or kingdoms are the driving force of evolution. She argued that simple cells and complex cells evolved in parallel, with the latter eventually engulfing the former, leading to a symbiotic relationship. This theory was initially met with resistance, but has since gained widespread acceptance.

Personal Life and Death

Margulis was married twice, first to astronomer Carl Sagan and later to crystallographer Thomas N. Margulis. She had two sons from her first marriage and a son and a daughter from her second marriage. Margulis died on November 22, 2011, at her home in Amherst, Massachusetts, from a stroke.

Legacy

Margulis's work has had a profound impact on the field of evolutionary biology. Her theory of symbiogenesis has been incorporated into modern understanding of evolution, and her contributions to the field have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including the National Medal of Science.