Percy writes:
When did the term mutation first come into use? If prior to the discovery of the structure of DNA, what was the definition of mutation at that time? Did the population geneticists of the 1920s think in terms of mutations?
To the last question, yes, they did. Chromosomes were identified in the late 19th century, and the word "gene" to describe active chunks of them was in use by the early 20th century.
By the 1920s, mutation was certainly being used, but I can't answer your first question exactly (it could have been well before).
Here's Sewall Wright a bit later using it in 1932 as if it's already well established:
Sewall Wright talking about mutations
Look at the second and third sentences:
quote:
The observed properties of gene mutation - fortuitous in origin, infrequent in occurrence and deleterious when not negligible in effect - seem about as unfavourable as possible for an evolutionary process. Under biparental reproduction, however, a limited number of mutations which are not too injurious to be carried by the species furnish an almost infinite field of possible variations through which the species may work its way under natural selection.
Sewall Wright 1932.
I chose that not particularly early example because the phrase I've highlighted is a long-winded way of saying "random", and clearly indicates Wright's view on the mutations.
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