SIGNIFICANCE OF SEREBROVSKY,A.S. WORKS FOR POPULATION-GENETICS

The article commemorates Professor Alexander Sergeevich Serebrovsky (1892-1948), a prominent Russian geneticist, the founder of the Department of Genetics of Moscow University. A thorough analysis of his publications written in the 20s and 30s demonstrates that A.S. Serebrovsky: 1) developed the principles of such original fields of population genetics as gene geography and the theory of gene pools; 2) specified the significance of random genetic drift for neutral evolution in small populations; 3) showed that subdivision of an isolated population is essential for long-term conservation of its genetic composition. A.S. Serebrovsky's contribution into population genetics is viewed ad an achievement of the Russian scientific scholl, always distinguished by historic and geographical approach to natural phenomena and processes.