John Maynard Smith
Encyclopedia
John Maynard Smith,His surname
was Maynard Smith, not Smith, nor was it hyphenated. F.R.S. (6 January 1920 – 19 April 2004) was a British
theoretical evolutionary biologist and geneticist
. Originally an aeronautical engineer during the Second World War
, he took a second degree in genetics under the well-known biologist J.B.S. Haldane. Maynard Smith was instrumental in the application of game theory
to evolution and theorized on other problems such as the evolution of sex
and signalling theory
.
, the son of a surgeon, but following his father's death in 1928 the family moved to Exmoor
, where he became interested in natural history
. Quite unhappy with the lack of formal science education at Eton College
, Maynard Smith took it upon himself to develop an interest in Darwinian evolutionary theory
and mathematics
, after having read the work of old Etonian J.B.S. Haldane, whose books were in the school's library despite the bad reputation Haldane had at Eton for his communism
.
On leaving school, Maynard Smith joined the Communist Party of Great Britain
and started studying engineering
at Trinity College
Cambridge
. When the Second World War
broke out in 1939, he defied his party's line and volunteered for service. He was rejected, however, because of poor eyesight and was told to finish his engineering degree
, which he did in 1941. He later quipped that "under the circumstances, my poor eyesight was a selective advantage—it stopped me getting shot". The year of his graduation, he married Sheila Matthew, and they later had two sons and one daughter (Tony, Carol, and Julian). Between 1942 and 1947 he applied his degree to military aircraft
design.
(UCL) to study fruit fly
genetics under Haldane. After graduating he became a lecturer in Zoology at UCL between 1952 and 1965, where he directed the Drosophila
lab and conducted research on population genetics. He published a popular Penguin book, The Theory of Evolution
, in 1958 (with subsequent editions in 1966, 1975, 1993).
He became gradually less attracted to communism and became a less active member, finally leaving the Party in 1956 like many other intellectuals, after the Soviet Union
brutally suppressed the Hungarian Revolution
(Haldane had left the party in 1950 after becoming similarly disillusioned).
and was a Dean between 1965–85. He subsequently became a professor emeritus. Prior to his death the building housing much of Life Sciences at Sussex was renamed the John Maynard Smith Building, in his honour.
called the evolutionarily stable strategy
(ESS), based on a verbal argument by George R. Price
. This area of research culminated in his 1982 book Evolution and the Theory of Games
. The Hawk-Dove game is arguably his single most influential game theoretical model.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1977. In 1986 he was awarded the Darwin Medal
. He also developed and recovered from colon cancer
.
. Together they wrote an influential 1995 book The Major Transitions in Evolution
, a seminal work which continues to contribute to ongoing issues in evolutionary biology. A popular science version of the book, entitled The Origins of Life: From the birth of life to the origin of language was published in 1999.
In 1991 he was awarded the Balzan Prize
for Genetics and Evolution "For his powerful analysis of evolutionary theory and of the role of sexual reproduction as a critical factor in evolution and in the survival of species; for his mathematical models applying the theory of games to evolutionary problems" (motivation of the Balzan General Prize Committee). In 1995 he was awarded the Linnean Medal
by The Linnean Society and in 1999 he was awarded the Crafoord Prize
jointly with Ernst Mayr
and George C. Williams
. In 2001 he was awarded the Kyoto Prize
.
In his honour, the European Society for Evolutionary Biology
has an award for extraordinary young evolutionary biology researchers named The John Maynard Smith Prize
.
.
, East Sussex
on April 19, 2004. He was survived by his wife Sheila and their children.
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
was Maynard Smith, not Smith, nor was it hyphenated. F.R.S. (6 January 1920 – 19 April 2004) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
theoretical evolutionary biologist and geneticist
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
. Originally an aeronautical engineer during the Second World War
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...
, he took a second degree in genetics under the well-known biologist J.B.S. Haldane. Maynard Smith was instrumental in the application of game theory
Game theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
to evolution and theorized on other problems such as the evolution of sex
Evolution of sex
The evolution of sexual reproduction is currently described by several competing scientific hypotheses. All sexually reproducing organisms derive from a common ancestor which was a single celled eukaryotic species. Many protists reproduce sexually, as do the multicellular plants, animals, and fungi...
and signalling theory
Signalling theory
Within evolutionary biology, signalling theory is a body of theoretical work examining communication between individuals. The central question is when organisms with conflicting interests should be expected to communicate "honestly"...
.
Early years
John Maynard Smith was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of a surgeon, but following his father's death in 1928 the family moved to Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
, where he became interested in natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
. Quite unhappy with the lack of formal science education at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, Maynard Smith took it upon himself to develop an interest in Darwinian evolutionary theory
Darwinism
Darwinism is a set of movements and concepts related to ideas of transmutation of species or of evolution, including some ideas with no connection to the work of Charles Darwin....
and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, after having read the work of old Etonian J.B.S. Haldane, whose books were in the school's library despite the bad reputation Haldane had at Eton for his communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
.
On leaving school, Maynard Smith joined the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
and started studying engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
at Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. When the Second World War
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...
broke out in 1939, he defied his party's line and volunteered for service. He was rejected, however, because of poor eyesight and was told to finish his engineering degree
Bachelor of Engineering
The Bachelor of Engineering is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at universities in Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland , Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Korea,...
, which he did in 1941. He later quipped that "under the circumstances, my poor eyesight was a selective advantage—it stopped me getting shot". The year of his graduation, he married Sheila Matthew, and they later had two sons and one daughter (Tony, Carol, and Julian). Between 1942 and 1947 he applied his degree to military aircraft
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
design.
Second degree
Maynard Smith then took a change of career, entering University College LondonUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
(UCL) to study fruit fly
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster is a species of Diptera, or the order of flies, in the family Drosophilidae. The species is known generally as the common fruit fly or vinegar fly. Starting from Charles W...
genetics under Haldane. After graduating he became a lecturer in Zoology at UCL between 1952 and 1965, where he directed the 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...
lab and conducted research on population genetics. He published a popular Penguin book, The Theory of Evolution
The Theory of Evolution
The Theory of Evolution is a book by English evolutionary biologist and geneticist John Maynard Smith, originally published in 1958. It serves as a general introduction to the eponymous subject, intended to be accessible to those with little technical knowledge of the area. It has been highly...
, in 1958 (with subsequent editions in 1966, 1975, 1993).
He became gradually less attracted to communism and became a less active member, finally leaving the Party in 1956 like many other intellectuals, after the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
brutally suppressed the Hungarian Revolution
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
(Haldane had left the party in 1950 after becoming similarly disillusioned).
University of Sussex
In 1962 he was one of the founding members of the University of SussexUniversity of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
and was a Dean between 1965–85. He subsequently became a professor emeritus. Prior to his death the building housing much of Life Sciences at Sussex was renamed the John Maynard Smith Building, in his honour.
Evolution and the Theory of Games
In 1973 Maynard Smith formalised a central concept in evolutionary game theoryEvolutionary game theory
Evolutionary game theory is the application of Game Theory to evolving populations of lifeforms in biology. EGT is useful in this context by defining a framework of contests, strategies and analytics into which Darwinian competition can be modelled. It originated in 1973 with John Maynard Smith...
called the evolutionarily stable strategy
Evolutionarily stable strategy
In game theory and behavioural ecology, an evolutionarily stable strategy , which is sometimes also called an evolutionary stable strategy, is a strategy which, if adopted by a population of players, cannot be invaded by any alternative strategy that is initially rare. An ESS is an equilibrium...
(ESS), based on a verbal argument by George R. Price
George R. Price
George Robert Price was an American population geneticist. Originally a physical chemist and later a science journalist, he moved to London in 1967, where he worked in theoretical biology at the Galton Laboratory, making three important contributions: first, rederiving W.D...
. This area of research culminated in his 1982 book Evolution and the Theory of Games
Evolution and the Theory of Games
Evolution and the Theory of Games is a 1982 book by the British evolutionary biologist John Maynard Smith on evolutionary game theory. In it, Maynard Smith summarises work on evolutionary game theory that had developed in the 1970s, to which he made several important contributions...
. The Hawk-Dove game is arguably his single most influential game theoretical model.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1977. In 1986 he was awarded the Darwin Medal
Darwin Medal
The Darwin Medal is awarded by the Royal Society every alternate year for "work of acknowledged distinction in the broad area of biology in which Charles Darwin worked, notably in evolution, population biology, organismal biology and biological diversity". First awarded in 1890, it was created in...
. He also developed and recovered from colon cancer
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....
.
Evolution of sex and other major transitions in evolution
Maynard Smith published a book entitled The Evolution of Sex which explored in mathematical terms, the notion of the "two-fold cost of sex". During the late 1980s he also became interested in the other major evolutionary transitions with the biochemist Eörs SzathmáryEörs Szathmáry
Eörs Szathmáry is a Hungarian theoretical evolutionary biologist at the late Collegium Budapest Eörs Szathmáry (born 1959) is a Hungarian theoretical evolutionary biologist at the late Collegium Budapest Eörs Szathmáry (born 1959) is a Hungarian theoretical evolutionary biologist at the late...
. Together they wrote an influential 1995 book The Major Transitions in Evolution
The Major Transitions in Evolution
The Major Transitions in Evolution is a book written by John Maynard Smith and Eörs Szathmáry . This was a seminal publication that continues to contribute to ongoing issues in evolutionary biology....
, a seminal work which continues to contribute to ongoing issues in evolutionary biology. A popular science version of the book, entitled The Origins of Life: From the birth of life to the origin of language was published in 1999.
In 1991 he was awarded the Balzan Prize
Balzan Prize
The International Balzan Prize Foundation awards four annual monetary prizes to people or organisations who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the brotherhood of man.-Rewards and assets:Each year the...
for Genetics and Evolution "For his powerful analysis of evolutionary theory and of the role of sexual reproduction as a critical factor in evolution and in the survival of species; for his mathematical models applying the theory of games to evolutionary problems" (motivation of the Balzan General Prize Committee). In 1995 he was awarded the Linnean Medal
Linnean Medal
The Linnean Medal of the Linnean Society of London was established in 1888, and is awarded annually to alternately a botanist or a zoologist or to one of each in the same year...
by The Linnean Society and in 1999 he was awarded the Crafoord Prize
Crafoord Prize
The Crafoord Prize is an annual science prize established in 1980 by Holger Crafoord, a Swedish industrialist, and his wife Anna-Greta Crafoord...
jointly with Ernst Mayr
Ernst Mayr
Ernst Walter Mayr was one of the 20th century's leading evolutionary biologists. He was also a renowned taxonomist, tropical explorer, ornithologist, historian of science, and naturalist...
and George C. Williams
George C. Williams
Professor George Christopher Williams was an American evolutionary biologist.Williams was a professor emeritus of biology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He was best known for his vigorous critique of group selection. The work of Williams in this area, along with W. D...
. In 2001 he was awarded the Kyoto Prize
Kyoto Prize
The has been awarded annually since 1985 by the Inamori Foundation, founded by Kazuo Inamori. The prize is a Japanese award similar in intent to the Nobel Prize, as it recognizes outstanding works in the fields of philosophy, arts, science and technology...
.
In his honour, the European Society for Evolutionary Biology
European Society for Evolutionary Biology
The European Society for Evolutionary Biology was founded in 1987. It is publishing the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, organises meetings and biannually awards a John Maynard Smith Prize.As of 2007 its president is Isabelle Olivieri....
has an award for extraordinary young evolutionary biology researchers named The John Maynard Smith Prize
John Maynard Smith Prize
The John Maynard Smith Prize is a prize given by the European Society for Evolutionary Biology on odd years to an outstanding young researcher. It was first awarded in 1997 and is named after the evolutionary biologist John Maynard Smith ....
.
Animal Signals
His final book, Animal Signals, co-authored with David Harper was published in 2003 on signalling theorySignalling theory
Within evolutionary biology, signalling theory is a body of theoretical work examining communication between individuals. The central question is when organisms with conflicting interests should be expected to communicate "honestly"...
.
Death
He died of lung cancer—sitting in a high-backed chair, surrounded by books—at his home in LewesLewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
on April 19, 2004. He was survived by his wife Sheila and their children.
Awards and Fellowships
- Fellow, Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe 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"...
(1977) - Darwin MedalDarwin MedalThe Darwin Medal is awarded by the Royal Society every alternate year for "work of acknowledged distinction in the broad area of biology in which Charles Darwin worked, notably in evolution, population biology, organismal biology and biological diversity". First awarded in 1890, it was created in...
(1986) - Frink MedalFrink MedalThe Frink Medal for British Zoologists is awarded by the Zoological Society of London "For significant and original contributions by a professional zoologist to the development of zoology in the wider applications."- Recipients :...
(1990) - Balzan PrizeBalzan PrizeThe International Balzan Prize Foundation awards four annual monetary prizes to people or organisations who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the brotherhood of man.-Rewards and assets:Each year the...
(1991) - Linnean MedalLinnean MedalThe Linnean Medal of the Linnean Society of London was established in 1888, and is awarded annually to alternately a botanist or a zoologist or to one of each in the same year...
(1995) - Royal MedalRoyal MedalThe Royal Medal, also known as The Queen's Medal, is a silver-gilt medal awarded each year by the Royal Society, two for "the most important contributions to the advancement of natural knowledge" and one for "distinguished contributions in the applied sciences" made within the Commonwealth of...
(1997) - Crafoord PrizeCrafoord PrizeThe Crafoord Prize is an annual science prize established in 1980 by Holger Crafoord, a Swedish industrialist, and his wife Anna-Greta Crafoord...
(1999) - Copley MedalCopley MedalThe Copley Medal is an award given by the Royal Society of London for "outstanding achievements in research in any branch of science, and alternates between the physical sciences and the biological sciences"...
(1999) - Kyoto PrizeKyoto PrizeThe has been awarded annually since 1985 by the Inamori Foundation, founded by Kazuo Inamori. The prize is a Japanese award similar in intent to the Nobel Prize, as it recognizes outstanding works in the fields of philosophy, arts, science and technology...
(2001) - Darwin-Wallace AwardDarwin-Wallace MedalThe Darwin–Wallace Medal is a medal awarded by the Linnean Society of London for "major advances in evolutionary biology". Historically, the medals have been awarded every 50 years, beginning in 1908...
(2008). This is bestowed every 50 years by the Linnean Society of LondonLinnean Society of LondonThe Linnean Society of London is the world's premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history. It publishes a zoological journal, as well as botanical and biological journals...
; Maynard Smith was one of thirteen co-recipients.
Publications
- Maynard Smith, J. (1958). The Theory of EvolutionThe Theory of EvolutionThe Theory of Evolution is a book by English evolutionary biologist and geneticist John Maynard Smith, originally published in 1958. It serves as a general introduction to the eponymous subject, intended to be accessible to those with little technical knowledge of the area. It has been highly...
. London, Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-020433-4- 1993 edn ISBN 0-521-45128-0
- Maynard Smith, J. (1968) Mathematical Ideas in Biology. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-07335-9
- Maynard Smith, J. (1972) On Evolution. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0-85224-223-9
- Maynard Smith, J. (1974b) Models in Ecology. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-20262-0
- Maynard Smith, J. (1978d) The Evolution of Sex. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-29302-2
- Maynard Smith, J. (ed.) (1981d) Evolution Now. London, Macmillan. ISBN 0-7167-1426-4
- Maynard Smith, J. (1982d) Evolution and the Theory of GamesEvolution and the Theory of GamesEvolution and the Theory of Games is a 1982 book by the British evolutionary biologist John Maynard Smith on evolutionary game theory. In it, Maynard Smith summarises work on evolutionary game theory that had developed in the 1970s, to which he made several important contributions...
. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-28884-3 - Maynard Smith, J. (1986b) The Problems of Biology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-289198-7
- Maynard Smith, J. (1988a) Did Darwin Get it Right?: Essays on Games, Sex and Evolution. London, Chapman & Hall. ISBN 0-412-03821-8
- Maynard Smith, J. (1989a) Evolutionary Genetics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-850231-1
- Maynard Smith, J. and Szathmáry, EEörs SzathmáryEörs Szathmáry is a Hungarian theoretical evolutionary biologist at the late Collegium Budapest Eörs Szathmáry (born 1959) is a Hungarian theoretical evolutionary biologist at the late Collegium Budapest Eörs Szathmáry (born 1959) is a Hungarian theoretical evolutionary biologist at the late...
. (1997) The Major Transitions in EvolutionThe Major Transitions in EvolutionThe Major Transitions in Evolution is a book written by John Maynard Smith and Eörs Szathmáry . This was a seminal publication that continues to contribute to ongoing issues in evolutionary biology....
. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-850294-X - Maynard Smith, J. and Szathmáry, EEörs SzathmáryEörs Szathmáry is a Hungarian theoretical evolutionary biologist at the late Collegium Budapest Eörs Szathmáry (born 1959) is a Hungarian theoretical evolutionary biologist at the late Collegium Budapest Eörs Szathmáry (born 1959) is a Hungarian theoretical evolutionary biologist at the late...
. (1999) The Origins of Life: From the Birth of Life to the Origin of Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-286209-X - Maynard Smith, J. and Harper, DDavid Harper (biologist)David George Charles Harper is the senior lecturer in Evolutionary Biology in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex, England. He specifically lectures Animal Diversity, Darwinian Evolution, Cooperation & Conflict in Animal Societies, Conservation in Practice and Applied...
. (2003) Animal Signals. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-852685-7
University of Sussex
- Press release announcing his death
- Tribute from his colleagues
- More tributes from colleagues
- List of publications
Other academia
- Freeview video 'The Origin of Life' A Royal Institution Discourse by the Vega Science Trust
- Freeview video 'Flight in Birds and Aeroplanes' A Masterclass by the Vega Science Trust
- John Maynard Smith Remembered - a series of (frequently amusing) recollections of John by his friends and colleagues.
- In conversation with John Maynard Smith FRS
- 2003 New Scientist interview
- Five short videos
- Video conversation with Robert Wright
- John Maynard Smith telling his life story at Web of Stories
- http://meaningoflife.tv/video.php?speaker=maynard%20smith&topic=complete
Obituaries
- Guardian
- The Times
- Corante
- Los Angeles Times
- New York Times
- DRAFT for Biology and Philosophy by Daniel DennettDaniel DennettDaniel Clement Dennett is an American philosopher, writer and cognitive scientist whose research centers on the philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science. He is currently the Co-director of...