Homology

[Alexey V. Kuprijanov]

Allow me to join to your discussion

>       Ole> Who was the first to use 'homology'in this context?
>
>   Rieger, Michaelis, and Green's ``Glossary of Genetics and
>   Cytogenetics'' cites Vavilov's ``law of homologous genes'' as the
>   first use in genetics.

Vavilov's law is not of homologous genes. In the paper cited below (section 4
"Phenotypical and genotypical variation" of russian version) he clearly stated
that homologous phenetic variations could be defined by different allels or
genes combinatons.

On the other hand, in the same section he cited Sturtevant,1929 (Publication
of Carnegie Inst. of Washington, 399. - I have no further information on this
reference) in such a context (I translate from russian version):

"The homology of genes is well studied in Drosophila melanogaster and
D.simulans. In this case the presence of at least 26 homologous genes
that are situated identically in the corresponding chromosomes
(Sturtevant, 1929) was proven by means of hybridisation experiments
and studyes on the gene localisation in chromosomes."

It is obviously a later addition to the original text (Vavilov, 1922) but I
guess it reflects the original Vavilov's conception. The version I used was
translated by Vavilov in Russian and emended by him. The latest reference
in this version is Levyns, 1934. Anyway Vavilov did not use the combination
"homologous chromosomes" at least in the paper cited below. Besides the
"homologous series in variation" and "homologous genes" he also used
"homologous series of mutation" (after Baur's 1919 Einfuehrung in die
experimentalle Vererbungslehre 3-4 Aufl. Berlin)

>
>   Vavilov, N. J.  1922.  The law of homologous series in variation.
>   J. Genet. 12:47.
>

Yours sincerely, Alexey V.Kuprijanov (Lepidoptera: Incurvarioidea)

                 St.Petersburg Society of Naturalists
                 Universitetskaya 7/9
                 199034 St.Petersburg
                 Russia

                 Q at SN.PU.RU