Mendel's Principles of Heredity. - 1902

Cambridge: at the University Press,, 1902. The foundation of the study of genetics First edition, first impression, of the work that popularized Mendelian inheritance, by "the founder of the modern study of heredity and variation" (PMM). This work established the theory of particulate inheritance over the prevailing theory of blending inheritance. Darwin demonstrated that evolution based on natural selection was the guiding force in nature, but he was unable to determine the exact mechanism of inheritance. Mendel (1822-1884), an Augustinian Friar working in obscurity, was experimenting with breeding pea plants when he discovered the answer: that the organism's characteristics were present in the sex cells, and the parents' traits determined the characteristics of offspring in mathematically predictable ways. However, his discovery did not circulate at the time due to his paper, "Versuche über Pflanzen-Hybriden" (1866), only being published in the journal of a small-town natural history society. The mechanism of biological inheritance continued to perplex researchers until 1900, when, "within a two-month period, there appeared three preliminary reports by Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns, and Erich von Tschermak, who independently attained the same results almost simultaneously. Each of them stated that just before completing his work, he learned that he had been preceded, by several decades, by a virtually unknown monk" (DSB). Bateson (1861-1926), a biologist who too had pondered the question of heredity in his 1894 Materials for the Study of Varation, was elated when Mendel's work was rediscovered. "Bateson was convinced that species do not evolve as the result of the accumulation of unnumerable small changes. His view was that variations occur suddenly and discontinuously. Mendel's paper gave him the clue that he was seeking" (PMM). Bateson became the foremost promoter of the new science, to which he made major experimental, theoretical, and lexical contributions, including coining the term "genetics". He enthusiastically advocated for its study at the University of Cambridge, which led to the establishment of a permanent school of genetic research and the endowment of the first chair in the subject. Octavo. Original green cloth, spine lettered and ruled in gilt, covers ruled in blind. Housed in a custom black morocco book-form box. Tissue-guarded half-tone portrait frontispiece of Mendel. Pencil ownership signature of one B. J. Harrison to front free endpaper. A touch of wear to spine ends and corners, spine lightly toned, cloth clean, foxing to endleaves, occasional neat marginal emphases in pencil, else contents clean: a very good copy. Norman 135; Printing and the Mind of Man 356a.