Methodology: Who proposed it?

The Endosymbiotic Theory was first proposed by former Boston University Biologist Lynn Margulis in the 1960's and officially in her 1981 book "Symbiosis in Cell Evolution". Although now accepted as a well-supported theory, both she and the theory were ridiculed by mainstream biologists for a number of years. Thanks to her persistance, and the large volumes of data that support this hypothesis gathered by her and many other scientists over the last 30 years, biology can now offer a plausible explanation for the evolution of eukaryotes.

Lynn Margulis

Lynn Margulis was an American biologist who completely altered the concept of how life arose on Earth.

Her theoretical paper on mitosing cells was rejected fifteen times before it was finally printed in and is now considered as the landmark argument in endosymbiotic theory. Margulis was a tenacious lady who defended her theory vehemently, even in the face of staunch criticism. Apart from her endosymbiotic theory, Margulis collaborated with James Lovelock, the British scientist on “Gaia hypothesis”. Apart from her scholarly articles, Margulis wrote a number of books interpreting scientific concepts for people in general.

In 1983, Margulis was elected to the ‘National Academy of Sciences’.

She was one of the three Americans who were members of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.

In 1999, the eminent scientist was awarded the ‘William Procter Prize of Sigma Xi’.

In 2008, she was awarded the ‘Darwin-Wallace Medal of Linnean Society of London’.

She died on November 22, 2011, bequeathing one of the best scientific theories in history.