The professor of the University of Massachussetts and member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Unated Staes, Lynn Margulis, died last Tuesday the 22nd November. She suffered a brain stroke when she was working with one of her students. Margulis was ‘honoris causa’ by the Unversity of Valencia and she collaborated many times with this institution.
Margulis began her scientific carreer soon and she will be remembered because she developed the role of symbiosis as a source of evolutionary innovation. In the 60’s, her pioneering works favoured the gradual acceptance of the origin of the complex cells from the gathering of more simple cells. The evolutionary theory today adds most of the ideas, which she passionately defended while the scientists rejected her.
She contributed from microbioligy to the Gaya hypothesis of James Lovelock, another work which received great controversy, despite her enthusiasm and hard work until her last day.
Last update: 24 de november de 2011 07:58.
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