Michael J. D. White
Michael James Denham White (1910–1983) was an Australian zoologist and cytologist who helped advance the study of cells, chromosomes, and how new species arise. He was born in London on 20 August 1910 and grew up in Tuscany, Italy, where he was homeschooled before starting at University College London in 1927.
White held professor roles at several universities, including the University of Texas, the University of Melbourne (Professor of Zoology, then Professor of Genetics), and the Australian National University. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1961. He received the Mueller Medal in 1965 and the Linnean Medal in 1983. He was a member of the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences.
His work contributed to the development of cytology and cytogenetics and influenced the study of speciation and evolution. He died in Canberra in December 1983 at age 73.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:49 (CET).