Jerry Coyne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerry A. Coyne
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Coyne in 2024
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Jerry Allen Coyne
December 30, 1949 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | College of William & Mary (BS) Harvard University (PhD) |
| Known for | Speciation and evolutionary genetics, particularly as they involve the fruit fly, Drosophila, and the books:
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| Awards | Richard Dawkins Award (2015) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Ecology Evolution |
| Institutions | University of Chicago University of Maryland |
| Doctoral advisor | Richard Lewontin |
| Notable students | H. Allen Orr, Mohamed Noor |
Jerry Allen Coyne, born on December 30, 1949, is an American biologist. He is famous for his studies on how new species form. He also speaks out about 'intelligent design,' which is a belief that life was created by a designer.
He used to be a professor at the University of Chicago, where he taught about ecology and evolution. He has written many scientific papers about the theory of evolution. He especially focuses on how new species appear, using fruit flies called Drosophila in his research. In 2023, he joined the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, a group that promotes critical thinking.
Coyne wrote a textbook called Speciation. He also wrote a popular non-fiction book, Why Evolution is True. He has a website and blog with the same name, where he shares his thoughts on science and other topics.
Coyne is also known for discussing religion publicly. He is a supporter of New Atheism, a viewpoint shared by other thinkers like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. He wrote a book called Faith Versus Fact.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jerry Allen Coyne was born on December 30, 1949. He grew up in a Jewish family. In 1971, he earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the College of William & Mary.
While in college, Coyne was active in protesting against apartheid (a system of racial separation) and the Vietnam War. He started his graduate studies at Rockefeller University. Later, he earned his Ph.D. in biology from Harvard University in 1978. After that, he continued his research at the University of California, Davis.
Career in Science
Coyne received a special award called a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1988. In 2007, he was chosen to be part of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He also received the "Emperor Has No Clothes Award" in 2011 from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Coyne has held important roles in the Society for the Study of Evolution. He was the Vice President in 1996 and President in 2011. He also helped edit scientific journals like Evolution and The American Naturalist.
He has taught many subjects, including evolutionary biology, how new species form, and genetic analysis. He believes that evolutionary biology is beautiful, like fine art, and also true.
His scientific articles have appeared in major journals like Nature and Science. He has also written for newspapers and magazines such as The New York Times. His research looks at how populations change over time and how new species develop.
In 1996, Coyne wrote an article for The New Republic that criticized the idea of intelligent design. This started his long history of writing about evolution and creationism.
A type of frog from Ecuador, called Atelopus coynei, is named after him. He found this frog in a swamp in Ecuador in the late 1970s.
Why Evolution is True
Coyne strongly disagrees with creationism, theistic evolution, and intelligent design. He calls intelligent design a "pseudoscientific" (fake science) idea that tries to get around legal rules.
In his book Why Evolution Is True, Coyne lists several kinds of evidence that support evolution:
- Fossils: These are remains of ancient life found in rocks.
- Embryology: This is the study of how living things develop before birth or hatching.
- Molecular biology: This looks at how DNA and other molecules are similar between different species.
- Vestigial organs: These are body parts that seem to have lost their original use, like the human appendix.
- Biogeography: This is the study of where different species live around the world.
- Junk DNA: Similarities in non-coding DNA sequences between species.
Charles Darwin predicted in 1859 that scientists would find fossils that show links between different groups of animals. Many such "transitional fossils" have been found since then, including:
- Tiktaalik: A fossil that shows features of both fish and early amphibians.
- Archaeopteryx: A fossil that shows features of both reptiles and birds.
- Ambulocetus: A fossil that shows how land mammals might have evolved into whales.
These fossils, along with their timing in the fossil record, provide strong evidence for evolution.
Beliefs and Public Discussions
Coyne considers himself a secular Jew, meaning he comes from a Jewish background but does not practice the religion. He is an outspoken anti-theist, which means he believes religion is harmful. He supports the idea that science and religion are not compatible. He thinks that only scientific evidence can truly explain how the world works.
Coyne runs a popular blog called Why Evolution Is True. On his blog, he writes about science, medical ethics, atheism, and free speech. As of early 2023, his blog had over 73,000 followers.
Coyne is a strong supporter of skepticism. He believes that "all scientific progress requires a climate of strong skepticism." He has taken part in many public discussions and debates with people who hold religious views.
He often criticizes creationists who stick to a literal reading of the Bible. He points out that even creationists admit animals can change within "kinds." Coyne believes that both sides of the evolution debate could learn more about the fossil record and modern scientific tools like Isochron dating.
Coyne also believes strongly in free speech. He has said that universities should not cancel speakers, even if their views are unpopular. He feels that free speech must protect even the most difficult opinions.
Determinism
Coyne is a hard determinist. This means he believes that all events, including our choices, are decided by things that happened before. He thinks that understanding this idea can make people more understanding and less quick to judge others.
Personal Life
According to an article in The Chicago Maroon, Coyne retired in 2015. However, he still works in his lab at the university and continues to publish his writings. He sees himself as a traditional liberal who strongly supports free speech.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Coyne became known for feeding a mother duck named Honey and her ducklings at the University of Chicago's Botany Pond. He continued to feed the ducks there for several years.
Images for kids
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Coyne in 2024
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Coyne (right) and Richard Dawkins at George Washington University on May 24, 2017
See Also
In Spanish: Jerry Coyne para niños
