1875-1967

British geneticist who extended the understanding of Mendelian genetics and used sexlinked plumage color genes to bio-engineer the first "autosexing" chicks. This application of genetic recombination saved critical resources for the British government during World War I, because female chicks could be immediately identified. Punnett identified examples of autosomal linkage and confirmed classical Mendelian principles through his research and instruction at Cambridge University, where he was honored with the first Arthur Balfour Chair of Genetics, a Royal Society Fellowship, and a Darwin Award.