160 years since the birth of A.N.Severtsov: a history of a scientific dynasty

The 23rd of September marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of the distinguished Russian zoologist, comparative anatomist, and evolutionary biologist Alexei Nikolaevich Severtsov - the founder of the scientific school of evolutionary morphology and of the institute that bears his name today.

The year 2026 marks another significant date for the Severtsov dynasty: the 90th anniversary of the birth of the scientist’s grandson, Alexei Sergeyevich Severtsov - also a zoologist, embryologist, and evolutionary biologist. For over 40 years, he headed the Department of Biological Evolution at Moscow State University (MSU) and played a pivotal role in the development of evolutionary education and research in Russia.

The story of the Severtsovs spans nearly two centuries of scientific tradition and several generations of researchers; each generation built upon the ideas of its predecessors while simultaneously pioneering new directions in biology. The lineage extends from the pioneering, large-scale studies on biodiversity and zoogeography by Nikolai Alekseevich Severtsov to the evolutionary morphology of Alexei Nikolaevich, the population and evolutionary ecology of Sergei Alekseevich and Alexei Sergeyevich Severtsov, and the contemporary research conducted by current members of the dynasty.

To mark the anniversary of Alexei Nikolaevich Severtsov, we have prepared an in-depth article on the history of this scientific family. We explore five generations of Severtsovs, their major research projects and discoveries, and the evolution of scientific questions and approaches over nearly two centuries - shifting from the study and description of the animal world to the investigation of evolutionary mechanisms at the organismal and population levels.

Read the full article: "The Severtsov Dynasty: The Evolution of a Scientific School and Its Contribution to Russian Biology".