Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Brünn

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Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Brünn (Verhandlungen des naturforschenden Vereines in Brünn) was a scientific journal published by the Natural History Society of Brünn (now Brno, Czech Republic). The journal is historically significant for being the publication in which Gregor Mendel first presented his groundbreaking work on the inheritance of traits in pea plants, which laid the foundation for the field of genetics.

History

The Natural History Society of Brünn was established in 1861 in the city of Brünn, which was then part of the Austrian Empire. The society aimed to promote the study of natural sciences, including biology, geology, and botany. The Proceedings served as the primary medium for the society to disseminate its members' research findings.

Mendel's Contribution

In 1865, Gregor Mendel presented his paper "Experiments on Plant Hybridization" (Versuche über Pflanzen-Hybriden) at two meetings of the society. This paper was subsequently published in the 1866 volume of the Proceedings. Mendel's experiments with pea plants demonstrated the principles of inheritance, including the concepts of dominant and recessive traits, segregation of alleles, and independent assortment. These principles are now known as Mendelian inheritance.

Impact and Legacy

Although Mendel's work was not widely recognized during his lifetime, it was rediscovered at the turn of the 20th century by scientists such as Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns, and Erich von Tschermak. This rediscovery led to the establishment of genetics as a scientific discipline. The Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Brünn thus holds a crucial place in the history of science for its role in publishing Mendel's pioneering research.