Biometry-Saltationism Controversies During the Pre-Mendelian Period

The opening salvo in the biometry-saltationismbiometry-saltationism debate war was Weldon’sWeldon, Walter Frank Raphael critical review of BatesonBateson, William’sBateson, William 1894 book on discontinuous evolution. In 1894 still, a Committee of the British Association, chaired by GaltonGalton, Francis, was set up to investigate evolutionary questions. The committee at first consisted mainly of biometriciansbiometrician. However, when BatesonBateson, William was invited to join in 1897, the committee was soon overtaken by a saltationist agenda, much to the distress of the biometriciansbiometrician. The first public controversy between WeldonWeldon, Walter Frank Raphael and BatesonBateson, William occurred in 1895 over the nature of variations in Cineraria cruenta. The controversy lasted several years and involved several others. In 1901, Pearson published a controversial paper on the so-called principle of homotyposis, which claimed that fraternal correlationscorrelationfraternal were equal to the mean correlationcorrelation between undifferentiated like organs. Much to Pearson’s distress, even before his paper was published, it was publicly criticized by BatesonBateson, William at a Royal Society meeting. This unfortunate incident directly led to the creation of the journal BiometrikaBiometrika in 1901.