Geschichte der Biologie 

Obituary: Wolf-Ernst Reif (2010)

Rainer Schoch, Thomas Junker & Uwe Hoßfeld. „Obituary: Wolf-Ernst Reif (27. 6. 1945 – 11. 6. 2009),“ Verhandlungen zur Geschichte und Theorie der Biologie 16 (2010): 265-279.

Ernst Mayr (1904-2005) and the New Philosophy of Biology (2007)

• Mayr has published more than 700 scientific papers and more than twenty books. He has received many honorary degrees from some of the most prestigious universities in the world, and was an elected member of many distinguished academies. […] In personal conversation and his letters Mayr was unpretentious, full of humour, self irony and warmth. In scientific discussions, however, he stubbornly insisted on arguments and on unambiguous statements. Sometimes he preferred categorical, almost one-sided statements, because he thought that such an approach would challenge the readers to come up with a refutation: „My own feeling is that it leads more quickly to the ultimate solution of scientific problems than a cautious sitting on the fence” (Mayr 1982, p. 9). But he was tolerant of other points of view when they could be substantiated and never took criticism personally. From time to time he could be persuaded of another position, and he was proud that he had changed his mind on a number of controversial topics during his life. When he was confronted with pointless chattering or dishonesty he could be brusque and uncompromising. Most of all he wanted to see progress in biology, in history, and in philosophy and he detested ‘pink fog’, as he called it.
• Mayr was one of the leading evolutionary biologists of the 20 th century, he was an eminent ornithologist and systematist, one of the most influential historians of biology and a forceful advocate of a new philosophy of biology. His numerous articles and books became the point of reference for a whole generation of biologists, as well as for historians and philosophers of biology. For many he was an admired example, for others he became the prototype of obsolete traditions that had to be overcome. Whatever the particular reaction was he provoked, he could not be ignored. I am convinced that many of his ideas will survive. Far away from cursory fashions they already have become classics and will inspire future generations of biologist, historians and philosophers in one way or the other.

Thomas Junker. „Ernst Mayr (1904-2005) and the New Philosophy of Biology,“ Journal for General Philosophy of Science 38 (2007): 1-17.

Geschichte der Biologie (2004)

Thomas Junker. Geschichte der Biologie: Die Wissenschaft vom Leben. C. H. Beck Wissen. München: C. H. Beck Verlag, 2004.

Ilse Jahns Geschichte der Biologie – von Goethe zu Humboldt (2002)

Thomas Junker. „Ilse Jahns Geschichte der Biologie – von Goethe zu Humboldt.“ In Fokus Biologiegeschichte – Zum 80. Geburtstag der Biologiehistorikerin Ilse Jahn. Hg. von Jörg Schulz. Berlin: Akadras, 2002, S. 245-52.

Repräsentationsformen in der modernen Biologiegeschichte (1999)

Thomas Junker. „Repräsentationsformen in der modernen Biologiegeschichte: Kritische Anmerkungen.“ In Repräsentationsformen in den biologischen Wissenschaften. Hg. von Armin Geus, Thomas Junker, Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, Christa Riedl-Dorn und Michael Weingarten. Verhandlungen zur Geschichte und Theorie der Biologie, Bd. 3. Berlin: Verlag für Wissenschaft und Bildung, 1999, S. 7-18.

Dietrich Starck zum 90. Geburtstag (1998)

Uwe Hoßfeld & Thomas Junker. „Dietrich Starck zum 90. Geburtstag,“ NTM. Internationale Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Ethik der Naturwissenschaften, Technik und Medizin N.S. 6 (1998): 129-47.

Factors Shaping Ernst Mayr’s Concepts in the History of Biology (1996)

• Ernst Mayr's central role in the emergence of the modern evolutionary synthesis is well-known and has been widely discussed in the historical literature. Mayr's rather extensive work in the history of biology, on the other hand, has received comparatively little systematic attention. His major writings, especially The Growth of Biological Thought (1982), are frequently cited and were controversially discussed in numerous more or less extensive reviews. However, so far there has been no attempt to analyze Mayr's historical writings in a more systematic way and to relate them to the biographical, professional and scientific context, in which they were developed. […] In the subsequent analysis, I will try to approach these questions from a historical point of view and look for the origins of Mayr's concepts by studying his personal and professional development. Consequently, it will only be mentioned in passing to what extent the historical facts can be considered as a cause for his concepts in the history of biology.

Thomas Junker. „Factors Shaping Ernst Mayr’s Concepts in the History of Biology,“ Journal of the History of Biology 29 (1996): 29-77.

Julius Schuster und das Berliner Institut für Geschichte der Medizin und der Naturwissenschaften (1996)

Thomas Junker. „Julius Schuster und das Berliner Institut für Geschichte der Medizin und der Naturwissenschaften (1930-1945). Eine vergessene Episode der Pharmaziegeschichtsschreibung,“ Geschichte der Pharmazie 48 (1996): 9-17.

Eine vergessene Episode der Pharmaziegeschichtsschreibung: Das Berliner Institut für Geschichte der Medizin und der Naturwissenschaften (1996)

Thomas Junker. „Eine vergessene Episode der Pharmaziegeschichtsschreibung: Das Berliner Institut für Geschichte der Medizin und der Naturwissenschaften (1930-1945).“ In Actes du XXXIIe Congrès d’Histoire de la Pharmacie. Paris, 25-29 septembre 1995. Paris: Societe d’Histoire de la Pharmacie, 1996, S. 267-68.

Vergangenheit und Gegenwart: Bemerkungen zur Funktion von Geschichte in den Schriften Ernst Mayrs (1995)

Thomas Junker. „Vergangenheit und Gegenwart: Bemerkungen zur Funktion von Geschichte in den Schriften Ernst Mayrs,“ Biologisches Zentralblatt 114 (1995): 143-49.

Die zwei Tode eines Naturforschers. Der Weg Julius Schusters (1886-1949) von der Botanik zur Biologiegeschichte (1994)

Thomas Junker & Hannelore Landsberg. „Die zwei Tode eines Naturforschers. Der Weg Julius Schusters (1886-1949) von der Botanik zur Biologiegeschichte,“ Medizinhistorisches Journal 29 (1994): 149-70.

Die weiblichen Keimdrüsenhormone (1985)

Thomas Junker. „Die weiblichen Keimdrüsenhormone,“ Pharmaziehistorisches Seminar: „Zur Entwicklungsgeschichte neuerer chemischer Arzneistoffgruppen“ (Leitung: Privat-Dozent Dr. W.-D. Müller-Jahncke), Institut für Geschichte der Pharmazie, Universität Marburg (Wintersemester 1984/85).

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