Lewontin, Richard C(harles) (1929– )

US geneticist. A prolific writer and a former editor of scientific journals, he made a major contribution to the study of population genetics, evolution, and philosophical and social aspects of human behaviour. He is also known as a controversial critic of his professional colleagues and a commentator on the applications of biological knowledge to broader issues. Lewontin was born in New York City. He was a biometrician at Columbia University (1953–54), an assistant professor at North Carolina State College (1954–58), and a professor at the universities of Rochester (1958–64), Chicago (1964–73), and Harvard (from 1973).