C. D. Darlington

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Cyril Dean Darlington FRS^[1] (19 December 1903 – 26 March 1981) was an English biologist, cytologist, geneticist, and eugenicist. He discovered the mechanics of chromosomal crossover,^[2] its role in inheritance, and therefore its importance to evolution. He was the Sherardian Professor of Botany at the University of Oxford from 1953 to 1971.

Darlington's research on genetics contributed to the modern evolutionary synthesis in the 20th century.^[3] However, many of his views are controversial; Darlington was listed in 1999 by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an example of a prominent race scientist who espoused antisemitism, eugenics, racism, and social Darwinism.^[4]