Motoo Kimura

Motoo Kimura (木村資生 Kimura Motoo) (November 13, 1924 - November 13, 1994). Born in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Kimura was a highly influential Japanese mathematical biologist working mostly in the field of theoretical population genetics, although he did not have any formal training in mathematics (Crow, 1996).

In genetics, he is famous for his innovative use of diffusion equations to calculate the probability of fixation and time to fixation of beneficial, deleterious, or neutral alleles (Watterson, 1996). Combining theoretical population genetics with molecular evolution data, he also developed the neutral theory of molecular evolution in which genetic drift is the main force changing allele frequencies. (Kimura, 1968, 1983; Ohta and Gillespie, 1996).

James F. Crow, himself a renowned population geneticist, considers Kimura to be one of the two greatest evolutionary geneticists, along with Gustave Malécot, after the great trio of the modern synthesis (Haldane, Wright, Fisher). He was married once to Hiroko Kimura. They had one child, a son, Akio, and had a granddaughter, Hanako--a daughter of Akio (Steen, 1996).

References

Crow, J.F. (1995). "Motoo Kimura (1924-1994)". Genetics. 140: 1–5.
Crow, J.F. (1996). "Memories of Motô". Theoretical Population Biology. 49: 122–127.
Kimura, M. (1968). "Evolutionary rate at the molecular level". Nature. 217: 624–626. [1]
Kimura, M. (1983). The Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0521231094.
Ohta, T. and Gillespie, J.H. (1996). "Development of Neutral and Nearly Neutral Theories". Theoretical Population Biology. 49: 128–142.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Watterson, G.A. (1996). "Motoo Kimura's Use of Diffusion Theory in Population Genetics". Theoretical Population Biology. 49: 154–188.
Steen, Tomoko Y. (1996). "Always an eccentric?: a brief biography of Motoo Kimura]". Journal of Genetics: 19. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |Volume= ignored (|volume= suggested) (help)