The genetic term 'heterosis' was originally coined by____________________?
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Answer: D. Shull (1914)
Explanation
George Harrison Shull originally coined the genetic term heterosis in 1914. His foundational research on corn hybrids demonstrated the dramatic vigor of crossbred offspring. The term replaced older ambiguous descriptions of hybrid superiority in genetics. Inbreeding depression leads to reduced vigor while outcrossing restores it via heterosis. Shull studied maize ears and observed increased yield resulting from cross-fertilization. Modern hybrid crop production is built entirely on exploiting genetic heterosis.
Global maize and rice production reached record yields through hybrid breeding technologies. Plant geneticists continue studying the molecular basis of heterosis to improve crops. Agricultural seed industries invest heavily in crossing elite lines to capture hybrid vigor. Hull proposed recurrent selection methods decades after Shull coined heterosis. Bruce published early theoretical papers on Mendelian explanations of hybrid vigor in 1910. East worked alongside Shull on maize genetics but did not coin the specific term heterosis.
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- Agriculture
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- Agriculture
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- —
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- medium
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