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http://dx.doi.org/10.5351/CKSS.2008.15.3.303

The Biometry-Mendelian Controversy in the History of Statistics  

Jo, Jae-Keun (Department of Informational Statistics, Kyungsung University)
Publication Information
Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods / v.15, no.3, 2008 , pp. 303-324 More about this Journal
Abstract
From mid-1890's, biometricians and Mendelians debated over Darwin's evolutionary theory. Biologist W. Weldon and Mathematician K. Pearson were leaders of the biometric school and biologist W. Bateson led Mendelian school. In this paper topics of the controversy such as causation vs. correlation, frequency distribution are considered. And in relation to the tradition of British statistics, we consider the philosophy of Karl Pearson revealed in this debate. Besides many statistical methods and concepts by Karl Pearson, the newly born mathematical statistics got a new journal Biometrika, a department in university, and a school of researchers from this controversy.
Keywords
Causation and correlation; Mendelism; biometry; evolution and genetics;
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