Erwin Baur

Erwin Baur (1875 - 1933) was a German geneticist and botanist. Baur worked primarily on plant genetics, he was director of the Max-Planck Institute for plant breeding research (since 1938 Erwin Baur-Institude). Baur is considered to be the father of plant virology and discovered the inheritance of plasmids.

In 1908 Baur demostrated a lethal gene in the Anturhinum plant. In 1909 working on the chloroplast genes in Pelarganium (geaniums) he showed that they violated four of Mendels five laws. Baur stated that

1. plastids are carriers of hereditary factors which are able to mutate.
2. In variegated plants, random sorting out of plastids is taking place.
3. the genetic results indicate a biparental inheritance of plastids by egg cells and sperm cells in pelargonium.

Since the 1930s and following the work of Otto Renner plastid inheritance became a widely accepted genetic theory.

Reference

• Hagemann, R. 2000. Erwin Baur or Carl Correns: who really created the theory of plastid inheritance?. Journal of Heredity 91:435-440