James F. Crow
Encyclopedia
James F. Crow is Professor Emeritus of Genetics
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
.
Some of his most significant peer-reviewed contributions were coauthored with Motoo Kimura
. His major contribution to the field, however, is arguably his teaching. He has written an influential introductory textbook on genetics and a more advanced one with Kimura, and the list of his graduate and undergraduate students and postdocs includes Alexey Kondrashov
, James Bull, Joe Felsenstein
, Russell Lande
, Dan Hartl, Takeo Maruyama, Terumi Mukai, Wen-Hsiung Li
, Chung-I Wu, Charles Langley, and many others.
. He helped define the meaning of genetic counseling.
, where his father was a teacher at Ursinus College
. The family moved to Wichita, Kansas
, two and a half years later, in 1918, where Crow was part of the 1918 flu pandemic
. He went to school in Wichita, then to Friends University
, at the time a Quaker school, also in Wichita, graduating in 1937.
At school, he enjoyed physics and chemistry, but pursued chemistry more strongly at university. He picked up biology as well, and double majored in chemistry and biology. A genetics course in his junior year was his first exposure to that field, even though the syllabus omitted the modern synthesis.
Delaying the decision of whether to become a biologist or chemist, Crow applied for graduate fellowships in both biology and biochemistry. He took up the first positive reply, a position with H. J. Muller
at the University of Texas at Austin
, in spite of knowing that Muller was in Russia at the time. It turned out that Muller had no intention of returning to his position in Texas, and so J. T. Patterson became Crow's supervisor there. Under the influence of Muller, Patterson was starting to switch to Drosophila
genetics, having previously worked on the embryology of the armadillo
, and so it was that Crow came to study the genetic isolating mechanisms in the Drosophila mulleri group. This included a combination of doing mating crosses between species and looking for chromosome rearrangements using polytene chromosome
s. (Polytene chromosomes are large aggregations of actual chromosomes which, once appropriately stained, facilitate the discovery of chromosome rearrangements through an ordinary light microscope. Polytene chromosomes are mostly found in the salivary gland
s of some species.) In his studies of pre-mating isolation, Crow was one of the first to study genetic reinforcement, and also observed that species occurring together
were sexually isolated, while those living apart were not.
A great influence on Crow at the time was W.S. Stone, who encouraged him to learn more mathematics, while he himself knew none. Crow later admitted to struggling with some of the advanced maths and physics courses he took as a result, but also said they had been rewarding.
just prior to the American entry into World War II
, where he remained until 1948. The original plan had been to get a postdoctoral fellowship to work with Sewall Wright
at the University of Chicago
, but this proved difficult just at the start of the war.
His appointment in Dartmouth was to teach genetics and general zoology
, but as faculty were drafted off into military endeavors, Crow took on an increasing number of courses. Crow particularly delighted in being able to teach embryology
and comparative anatomy
. When it seemed likely that he himself would be drafted, Crow took a course in navigation, at which, owing to his mathematical training, he proved so adept that he was asked to teach it. As parasitology
became relevant to the war (as it did on the opposing front, where Willi Hennig
was active in this area), he was asked to also teach parasitology and haematology. Not long after, he was also teaching statistics
. It may be that, having to teach many hours each day, Crow discovered his love for teaching at this point. He later recounted that there were several students all of whose courses were taught by him.
He, like many of his colleagues of the era, had college-time involvement with pacifist groups that had communist leanings. During WWII, he tried to enlist, but was deferred until the end due to his teaching commitments.
's 1969 article, "How Much Can We Boost IQ and Academic Achievement?"
In addition, Jim for many years played viola for the Madison Symphony Orchestra
, and served as President of the Madison Civic Music Society and of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Recently, he led a fund-raising drive to establish an endowment for the Pro Arte String Quartet.
Professor Crow is recognized as a leader and statesman of science. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences
, the National Academy of Medicine, The American Philosophical Society
, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
, the World Academy of Art and Science
. He is an honorary Fellow of the Japan Academy and a Fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters.
Crow JF. 2010. Wright and Fisher on inbreeding and random drift. Genetics. 2010 Mar;184(3):609-11.
Crow JF. 2010. On epistasis: why it is unimportant in polygenic directional selection. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. Apr 27;365(1544):1241-4.
Crow JF. 2009. Mayr, mathematics and the study of evolution. J Biol.;8(2):13. Epub 2009 Feb 23.
Crow JF. 2008. Maintaining evolvability. J Genet. Dec;87(4):349-53.
Crow JF. 2008. Just and unjust: E. E. Just (1883-1941). Genetics. Aug;179(4):1735-40.
Crow JF. 2008. Mid-century controversies in population genetics. Annu Rev Genet.;42:1-16.
Crow JF. 2008 .Commentary: Haldane and beanbag genetics. Int J Epidemiol. Jun;37(3):442-5.
Crow JF. 2007. Haldane, Bailey, Taylor and recombinant-inbred lines. Genetics. Jun;176(2):729-32.
Gulisija D, Crow JF. 2007. Inferring purging from pedigree data. Evolution. May;61(5):1043-51.
Crow JF, Lindsley D, Lucchesi J. 2006. Edward Novitski: Drosophila virtuoso. Genetics. Oct;174(2):549-53.
Crow JF. 2006. Age and sex effects on human mutation rates: an old problem with new complexities. J Radiat Res (Tokyo).;47 Suppl B:B75-82.
Crow JF. 2006. H. J. Muller and the "competition hoax". Genetics. Jun;173(2):511-4.
Crow, J.F. 2006. Motoo Kimura, 1924-1994. Handbook of Philosophy of Biology.
Crow, J.F. 2006. Sewall Wright, 1889-1988. Handbook of Philosophy of Biology.
Crow, J.F. 2005. Herman Joseph Muller, Evolutionist. Nature Rev. Genet.
Crow, J.F. 2005. Age and sex effects on human mutation rates, an old problem with new complexities. J. Radiation Res.
Crow, J.F. and Bender, W. 2004. Edward B. Lewis, 1918-2004. Genetics 168: 1773-1783.
Crow, J.F. 2004. Assessing population subdivision. In Evolutionary Theory and Processes: Modern Horizons. Ed. by S.P. Wasser. Pp. 35-42. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Crow, J. F. 2003. Was there life before 1953? Nature Genetics 33:449-450.
Garcia-Dorado, A., A. Caballero, and J. F. Crow. 2003. On the persistence and pervasiveness of a new mutation. Evolution 57:2644-2646.
Crow, J. F. 2002. Unequal by nature: a geneticist’s perspective on human differences. Dedalus Winter 2002:81-88.
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
.
Some of his most significant peer-reviewed contributions were coauthored with Motoo Kimura
Motoo Kimura
was a Japanese biologist best known for introducing the neutral theory of molecular evolution in 1968. He became one of the most influential theoretical population geneticists. He is remembered in genetics for his innovative use of diffusion equations to calculate the probability of fixation of...
. His major contribution to the field, however, is arguably his teaching. He has written an influential introductory textbook on genetics and a more advanced one with Kimura, and the list of his graduate and undergraduate students and postdocs includes Alexey Kondrashov
Alexey Kondrashov
Alexey S. Kondrashov is a professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.He has worked on a variety of subjects in evolutionary genetics...
, James Bull, Joe Felsenstein
Joe Felsenstein
Joseph "Joe" Felsenstein is Professor in the Departments of Genome Sciences and Biology and Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Computer Science and Statistics at the University of Washington in Seattle...
, Russell Lande
Russell Lande
Russell Lande is an American evolutionary biologist and ecologist, and a Royal Society Research Professor at Imperial College London, in Silwood Park.-Education and career:...
, Dan Hartl, Takeo Maruyama, Terumi Mukai, Wen-Hsiung Li
Wen-Hsiung Li
Wen-Hsiung Li is a Taiwanese American scientist working in the fields of molecular evolution, population genetics, and genomics...
, Chung-I Wu, Charles Langley, and many others.
Biography
James F. Crow is a pioneer and giant in the field of genetics. His University of Wisconsin genetics faculty profile reviews his historic contributions through research, teaching, public service, ethical analysis, and leadership. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, The American Philosophical Society, the World Academy of Art and Science, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was a long-time member of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, playing viola. He is a past president of both the Genetics Society of America and the American Society of Human Genetics. He is a foreign member of the Royal SocietyRoyal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. He helped define the meaning of genetic counseling.
Early life and education
Crow was born in 1916 in Collegeville, PennsylvaniaCollegeville, Pennsylvania
Collegeville is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia on the Perkiomen Creek. Collegeville was incorporated in 1896. It is the seat of Ursinus College, opened in 1869...
, where his father was a teacher at Ursinus College
Ursinus College
Ursinus College is a liberal arts college in Collegeville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.-History:1867Members of the German Reformed Church begin plans to establish a college where "young men could be liberally educated under the benign influence of Christianity." These founders were hoping to...
. The family moved to Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, two and a half years later, in 1918, where Crow was part of the 1918 flu pandemic
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
. He went to school in Wichita, then to Friends University
Friends University
Friends University is a private non-denominational Christian university in Wichita, Kansas.Friends University was founded in 1898. The main building was originally built in 1886 for Garfield University, but was donated in 1898 to the Religious Society of Friends by James Davis, a St. Louis...
, at the time a Quaker school, also in Wichita, graduating in 1937.
At school, he enjoyed physics and chemistry, but pursued chemistry more strongly at university. He picked up biology as well, and double majored in chemistry and biology. A genetics course in his junior year was his first exposure to that field, even though the syllabus omitted the modern synthesis.
Delaying the decision of whether to become a biologist or chemist, Crow applied for graduate fellowships in both biology and biochemistry. He took up the first positive reply, a position with H. J. Muller
Hermann Joseph Muller
Hermann Joseph Muller was an American geneticist, educator, and Nobel laureate best known for his work on the physiological and genetic effects of radiation as well as his outspoken political beliefs...
at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, in spite of knowing that Muller was in Russia at the time. It turned out that Muller had no intention of returning to his position in Texas, and so J. T. Patterson became Crow's supervisor there. Under the influence of Muller, Patterson was starting to switch to Drosophila
Drosophila
Drosophila is a genus of small flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "fruit flies" or more appropriately pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species to linger around overripe or rotting fruit...
genetics, having previously worked on the embryology of the armadillo
Armadillo
Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...
, and so it was that Crow came to study the genetic isolating mechanisms in the Drosophila mulleri group. This included a combination of doing mating crosses between species and looking for chromosome rearrangements using polytene chromosome
Polytene chromosome
To increase cell volume, some specialized cells undergo repeated rounds of DNA replication without cell division , forming a giant polytene chromosome...
s. (Polytene chromosomes are large aggregations of actual chromosomes which, once appropriately stained, facilitate the discovery of chromosome rearrangements through an ordinary light microscope. Polytene chromosomes are mostly found in the salivary gland
Salivary gland
The salivary glands in mammals are exocrine glands, glands with ducts, that produce saliva. They also secrete amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch into maltose...
s of some species.) In his studies of pre-mating isolation, Crow was one of the first to study genetic reinforcement, and also observed that species occurring together
Sympatry
In biology, two species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus regularly encounter one another. An initially-interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sharing a common range exemplifies sympatric speciation...
were sexually isolated, while those living apart were not.
A great influence on Crow at the time was W.S. Stone, who encouraged him to learn more mathematics, while he himself knew none. Crow later admitted to struggling with some of the advanced maths and physics courses he took as a result, but also said they had been rewarding.
Dartmouth College and the war
Crow graduated with his PhD in 1941 and moved to Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
just prior to the American entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, where he remained until 1948. The original plan had been to get a postdoctoral fellowship to work with Sewall Wright
Sewall Wright
Sewall Green Wright was an American geneticist known for his influential work on evolutionary theory and also for his work on path analysis. With R. A. Fisher and J.B.S. Haldane, he was a founder of theoretical population genetics. He is the discoverer of the inbreeding coefficient and of...
at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, but this proved difficult just at the start of the war.
His appointment in Dartmouth was to teach genetics and general zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
, but as faculty were drafted off into military endeavors, Crow took on an increasing number of courses. Crow particularly delighted in being able to teach embryology
Embryology
Embryology is a science which is about the development of an embryo from the fertilization of the ovum to the fetus stage...
and comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of organisms. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny .-Description:...
. When it seemed likely that he himself would be drafted, Crow took a course in navigation, at which, owing to his mathematical training, he proved so adept that he was asked to teach it. As parasitology
Parasitology
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life...
became relevant to the war (as it did on the opposing front, where Willi Hennig
Willi Hennig
Emil Hans Willi Hennig was a German biologist who is considered the founder of phylogenetic systematics, also known as cladistics. With his works on evolution and systematics he revolutionised the view of the natural order of beings...
was active in this area), he was asked to also teach parasitology and haematology. Not long after, he was also teaching statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
. It may be that, having to teach many hours each day, Crow discovered his love for teaching at this point. He later recounted that there were several students all of whose courses were taught by him.
He, like many of his colleagues of the era, had college-time involvement with pacifist groups that had communist leanings. During WWII, he tried to enlist, but was deferred until the end due to his teaching commitments.
Race and IQ controversy
Crow wrote "Genetic Theories and Influences: Comments on the Value of Diversity," an article in the Harvard Educational Review reprinted in the review's reprint series responding to Arthur JensenArthur Jensen
Arthur Robert Jensen is a Professor Emeritus of educational psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Jensen is known for his work in psychometrics and differential psychology, which is concerned with how and why individuals differ behaviorally from one another.He is a major proponent...
's 1969 article, "How Much Can We Boost IQ and Academic Achievement?"
Research Description
Much of Professor Crow’s research has been in the area of theoretical population genetics, but he has often ventured into the laboratory. Over a career that has spanned more than 50 years, Jim and his collaborators have studied a variety of traits in Drosophila, dissected the genetics of DDT resistance, measured the effects of minor mutations on the overall fitness of populations, described the behavior of mutations that do not play the selection game by Darwin’s rules, and investigated many other subjects. His theoretical work has touched virtually every important subject in population genetics. Jim developed the concept of genetic load, has contributed to the theory of random drift in small populations, has studied of the effects of non-random mating and age-structured populations, and has considered the question, “What good is sex?” He also developed ingenious ways to estimate inbreeding in human populations by making use of the way in which surnames are “inherited,” and is a world expert on the genetic effects of low level ionizing radiation In addition to his many research publications, Professor Crow has published many reviews and appreciations of the work of his colleagues. Finally, his book on population genetics, written with Motoo Kimura, is a combination of textbook and monograph a major contribution to the literature of population genetics research and still the classic in its field.Teaching
Professor Crow is a famous teacher of both undergraduates and graduates. For many alumnae of the University of Wisconsin, the class that stands out as the most stimulating, the most satisfying, simply the best, of all the courses they took in college, is the General Genetics course they took from Dr. Crow. Students remember the amazing clarity and simplicity of Dr. Crow’s lectures. He was able to explain in a straightforward way the logic of a mathematical argument that other professors teaching the same course dared not even discuss. Students remember Jim’s disarming human qualities and can still quote some of his jokes after many years. Above all else they remember Jim’s magical ability to reveal the allure of science — there’s so much to learn, and learning brings so much pleasure. Jim’s influence as a teacher extends far beyond his classroom in Madison. His Genetics Notes – virtually everyone calls it “Crow’s Notes” – became the foundation for genetics courses around the world. It was translated into many languages: Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Dutch, Yugoslav. Many students bought Crow’s Notes even when their professor did not assign it, because the Notes were written with such economy and clarity. They made genetics accessible to those who were otherwise mystified by their professors and intimidated by their assigned texts.Public Service
Professor Crow has generously contributed his talents to so many good works in the university, the profession, and the community that one wonders how he has managed to achieve so much as a geneticist. He chaired the Department of Medical Genetics for 5 years and the Laboratory of Genetics (that is, Genetics plus Medical Genetics) for a total of 8 years. He also served as Acting Dean of the UW Medical School for 2 years. He has been President of the Genetics Society of America and the American Society of Human Genetics. Jim has served at the national level as a member of the General Advisory Committee to the Director of NIH and of the executive council of the National Committee on Radiation Protection; has chaired the NIH Genetics Study Section and the NIH Mammalian Genetics Study Section; and has chaired several committees for the National Academy of Sciences including, most recently, a committee to study forensic uses of DNA fingerprinting.In addition, Jim for many years played viola for the Madison Symphony Orchestra
Madison Symphony Orchestra
The Madison Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. Its conductor is John DeMain, who began his 14th season with the orchestra in the fall of 2007...
, and served as President of the Madison Civic Music Society and of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Recently, he led a fund-raising drive to establish an endowment for the Pro Arte String Quartet.
Professor Crow is recognized as a leader and statesman of science. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Sciences commonly refers to the academy in the United States of America.National Academy of Sciences may also refer to :* National Academy of Sciences of Argentina* Armenian National Academy of Sciences...
, the National Academy of Medicine, The American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
, the World Academy of Art and Science
World Academy of Art and Science
The World Academy of Art and Science is an international non-governmental scientific organization, an informal and non-official world network of individual fellows elected for distinguished accomplishments in the fields of natural and social sciences, arts and the humanities...
. He is an honorary Fellow of the Japan Academy and a Fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters.
Representative Publications
Search Pubmed for more publications by James CrowCrow JF. 2010. Wright and Fisher on inbreeding and random drift. Genetics. 2010 Mar;184(3):609-11.
Crow JF. 2010. On epistasis: why it is unimportant in polygenic directional selection. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. Apr 27;365(1544):1241-4.
Crow JF. 2009. Mayr, mathematics and the study of evolution. J Biol.;8(2):13. Epub 2009 Feb 23.
Crow JF. 2008. Maintaining evolvability. J Genet. Dec;87(4):349-53.
Crow JF. 2008. Just and unjust: E. E. Just (1883-1941). Genetics. Aug;179(4):1735-40.
Crow JF. 2008. Mid-century controversies in population genetics. Annu Rev Genet.;42:1-16.
Crow JF. 2008 .Commentary: Haldane and beanbag genetics. Int J Epidemiol. Jun;37(3):442-5.
Crow JF. 2007. Haldane, Bailey, Taylor and recombinant-inbred lines. Genetics. Jun;176(2):729-32.
Gulisija D, Crow JF. 2007. Inferring purging from pedigree data. Evolution. May;61(5):1043-51.
Crow JF, Lindsley D, Lucchesi J. 2006. Edward Novitski: Drosophila virtuoso. Genetics. Oct;174(2):549-53.
Crow JF. 2006. Age and sex effects on human mutation rates: an old problem with new complexities. J Radiat Res (Tokyo).;47 Suppl B:B75-82.
Crow JF. 2006. H. J. Muller and the "competition hoax". Genetics. Jun;173(2):511-4.
Crow, J.F. 2006. Motoo Kimura, 1924-1994. Handbook of Philosophy of Biology.
Crow, J.F. 2006. Sewall Wright, 1889-1988. Handbook of Philosophy of Biology.
Crow, J.F. 2005. Herman Joseph Muller, Evolutionist. Nature Rev. Genet.
Crow, J.F. 2005. Age and sex effects on human mutation rates, an old problem with new complexities. J. Radiation Res.
Crow, J.F. and Bender, W. 2004. Edward B. Lewis, 1918-2004. Genetics 168: 1773-1783.
Crow, J.F. 2004. Assessing population subdivision. In Evolutionary Theory and Processes: Modern Horizons. Ed. by S.P. Wasser. Pp. 35-42. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Crow, J. F. 2003. Was there life before 1953? Nature Genetics 33:449-450.
Garcia-Dorado, A., A. Caballero, and J. F. Crow. 2003. On the persistence and pervasiveness of a new mutation. Evolution 57:2644-2646.
Crow, J. F. 2002. Unequal by nature: a geneticist’s perspective on human differences. Dedalus Winter 2002:81-88.