Ludwig Plate

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Ludwig Plate

1862-1937

German zoologist who avidly promoted Darwin's theory of natural selection. He succeeded Ernst Haeckel as professor of zoology and curator of the Phyletische Museum in Jena in 1909, after teaching and directing a biological museum in Berlin. He conducted experiments in the newly emerging field of Mendelian genetics. As a founding member of Society for Race Hygiene and co-editor of its journal, he was an influential eugenics advocate.