Genomics

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Description

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 (1).

http://www.geocities.com/satheism/kimura.jpg

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 (2).

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, M. (1968). "Evolutionary rate at the molecular level". Nature 217: 624-626.}},3)

James F. Crow, himself a renowned population geneticist, considers Kimura to be one of the two greatest evolutionary geneticists, along with Gustave Mal�cot, 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.

Links

Attribution


1. Crow, J.F. (1995). "Motoo Kimura (1924-1994)". Genetics 140: 1-5.

2. Watterson, G.A. (1996). "Motoo Kimura's Use of Diffusion Theory in Population Genetics". Theoretical Population Biology 49: 154-188.

3. Kimura, M. (1983). The Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.