Life Before Model Systems: General Zoology at August Weismann’s Institute

SYNOPSIS. With the current interest in and criticism of Model Systems Research in mind, I review some of the details of a research program at the turn of the century. I present data about career trajectories of the degree recipients in August Weismann’s Institute of Zoology, in Freiburg i/Br., Germany. I ennumerate the organisms they use in their research and provide some discussion about the level of analysis performed by certain students bound for academic careers. I conclude that between 1880 and 1912 diversity prevailed in career objectives, research projects, organisms investigated and levels of analysis. This was the diversity of a General Zoology suited to Weismann’s primary interests in evolution and the contemporary expectations of academic zoology. This General Zoology contrasts with the organism specific research prevalent at the same institute directed by Hans Spemann between 1918 and 1931. In closing I propose a sequence of historical stages which changed the General Zoology at the beginning of the current century into Model Systems Research at the end.