John Maynard Smith
John Maynard Smith,[1] FRS (6 January 1920 – 19 April 2004) was a British theoretical evolutionary biologist and geneticist. Originally an aeronautical engineer during the Second World War, he then 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.
John Maynard Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 6 January 1920 |
| Died | 19 April 2004 (aged 84) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge and University College London |
| Known for | Game theory Evolution of sex Signalling theory |
| Awards | Balzan Prize (1991) Copley Medal (1999) Kyoto Prize (2001) Linnean Society of London's Darwin-Wallace Medal (2008) Fellow of the Royal Society (1977) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Evolutionary biologist and geneticist |
| Institutions | University of Sussex |
| Doctoral students | Andrew Pomiankowski Sean Nee |
Awards
He won most of the awards available to scientists:
- Fellow, Royal Society (1977)
- Darwin Medal (1986)
- Frink Medal (1990)
- Balzan Prize (1991)
- Linnean Medal (1995)
- Royal Medal (1997)
- Crafoord Prize (1999)
- Copley Medal (1999)
- Kyoto Prize (2001)
- Darwin-Wallace Award (2008). This was at the time awarded every 50 years by the Linnean Society of London. Maynard Smith was one of thirteen co-recipients.
Maynard Smith has an Erdős number of four.
Books
- Maynard Smith J. 1958. The theory of evolution. 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
- Maynard Smith J. 1972. On evolution. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0-85224-223-9
- Maynard Smith J. 1974. Models in ecology. Cambridge University Press. ISBN
- Maynard Smith J. 1978. The evolution of sex. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-29302-2
- Maynard Smith J. (ed) 1981. Evolution now. London, Macmillan. ISBN 0-7167-1426-4
- Maynard Smith J. 1982. Evolution and the theory of games. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-28884-3
- Maynard Smith J. 1986. The problems of biology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-289198-7
- Maynard Smith J. 1988. Did Darwin get it right?: essays on games, sex and evolution. London, Chapman & Hall. ISBN 0-412-03821-8
- Maynard Smith J. 1989. Evolutionary genetics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-850231-1
- Maynard Smith J. and Szathmáry E. 1997. The major transitions in evolution. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-850294-X
- Maynard Smith J. and Szathmáry E. 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 D. 2003. Animal signals. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-852685-7