Hugo de Vries

Hugo de Vries was a Dutch botanist and geneticist, best known for his role in the modern understanding of genetics. In the early 20th century, he proposed the concept of "mutations," which are sudden and heritable changes in organisms. His work supported the idea of natural selection and played a key role in the rediscovery of Gregor Mendel's principles of inheritance. De Vries contributed to the theory of evolution, demonstrating how genetic variation arises, which is fundamental to the process of evolution. His insights laid the groundwork for modern genetics and influenced many scientific fields.