BIOLOGIST
Lynn Margulis
1938 - 2011

Lynn Margulis
Lynn Margulis (born Lynn Petra Alexander; March 5, 1938 – November 22, 2011) was an American evolutionary biologist, who was the primary modern proponent for the significance of symbiosis in evolution. In particular, Margulis transformed and fundamentally framed biologists' understanding of the evolution of the Eukaryotes, organisms with nuclei in their cells. She proposed that they came into being by symbiotic mergers of bacteria. Margulis was the co-developer of the Gaia hypothesis with the British chemist James Lovelock, proposing that the Earth functions as a unified self-regulating system, and the principal defender and promulgator of the five kingdom classification of Robert Whittaker. Read more on Wikipedia
Her biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Lynn Margulis is the 135th most popular biologist (down from 99th in 2019), the 1,188th most popular biography from United States (down from 970th in 2019) and the 22nd most popular American Biologist.
Lynn Margulis is most famous for her work in helping to develop the theory of symbiogenesis, which states that the organelles in cells are actually the descendants of bacteria that were engulfed by a cell and became symbiotic with it.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Lynn Margulis by language
Among BIOLOGISTS
Among biologists, Lynn Margulis ranks 135 out of 1,097. Before her are Sam Harris, Reginald Innes Pocock, Sydney Brenner, John Franklin Enders, Jan Swammerdam, and William Jackson Hooker. After her are Gaspard Bauhin, Johann Friedrich Gmelin, Oliver Smithies, Martin Evans, Gerald Edelman, and Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin.
Most Popular Biologists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsSam Harris
1967 - Present
HPI: 69.51
Rank: 129
Reginald Innes Pocock
1863 - 1947
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 130
Sydney Brenner
1927 - 2019
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 131
John Franklin Enders
1897 - 1985
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 132
Jan Swammerdam
1637 - 1680
HPI: 69.40
Rank: 133
William Jackson Hooker
1785 - 1865
HPI: 69.36
Rank: 134
Lynn Margulis
1938 - 2011
HPI: 69.21
Rank: 135
Gaspard Bauhin
1560 - 1624
HPI: 69.16
Rank: 136
Johann Friedrich Gmelin
1748 - 1804
HPI: 69.08
Rank: 137
Oliver Smithies
1925 - 2017
HPI: 69.07
Rank: 138
Martin Evans
1941 - Present
HPI: 69.06
Rank: 139
Gerald Edelman
1929 - 2014
HPI: 69.05
Rank: 140
Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin
1855 - 1935
HPI: 69.01
Rank: 141
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1938, Lynn Margulis ranks 57. Before her are Otto Rehhagel, Viktor Chernomyrdin, Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld, Kenny Rogers, Robert Nozick, and Derek Jacobi. After her are Jiří Menzel, Anthony James Leggett, Issey Miyake, Jean Giraud, Tufuga Efi, and David Irving. Among people deceased in 2011, Lynn Margulis ranks 43. Before her are Jane Russell, Leka, Crown Prince of Albania, Willard Boyle, Baruj Benacerraf, John Barry, and Amy Winehouse. After her are Zdeněk Miler, C. Odumegwu Ojukwu, Dev Anand, Betty Ford, Tom Gehrels, and Ernesto Sabato.
Others Born in 1938
Go to all RankingsOtto Rehhagel
COACH
1938 - Present
HPI: 70.01
Rank: 51
Viktor Chernomyrdin
DIPLOMAT
1938 - 2010
HPI: 69.56
Rank: 52
Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld
POLITICIAN
1938 - Present
HPI: 69.39
Rank: 53
Kenny Rogers
SINGER
1938 - 2020
HPI: 69.34
Rank: 54
Robert Nozick
PHILOSOPHER
1938 - 2002
HPI: 69.33
Rank: 55
Derek Jacobi
ACTOR
1938 - Present
HPI: 69.30
Rank: 56
Lynn Margulis
BIOLOGIST
1938 - 2011
HPI: 69.21
Rank: 57
Jiří Menzel
FILM DIRECTOR
1938 - 2020
HPI: 69.15
Rank: 58
Anthony James Leggett
PHYSICIST
1938 - Present
HPI: 69.13
Rank: 59
Issey Miyake
POLITICIAN
1938 - 2022
HPI: 68.95
Rank: 60
Jean Giraud
COMIC ARTIST
1938 - 2012
HPI: 68.78
Rank: 61
Tufuga Efi
POLITICIAN
1938 - Present
HPI: 68.64
Rank: 62
David Irving
WRITER
1938 - Present
HPI: 68.54
Rank: 63
Others Deceased in 2011
Go to all RankingsJane Russell
ACTOR
1921 - 2011
HPI: 70.11
Rank: 37
Leka, Crown Prince of Albania
NOBLEMAN
1939 - 2011
HPI: 70.10
Rank: 38
Willard Boyle
PHYSICIST
1924 - 2011
HPI: 70.09
Rank: 39
Baruj Benacerraf
PHYSICIAN
1920 - 2011
HPI: 69.60
Rank: 40
John Barry
COMPOSER
1933 - 2011
HPI: 69.40
Rank: 41
Amy Winehouse
MUSICIAN
1983 - 2011
HPI: 69.31
Rank: 42
Lynn Margulis
BIOLOGIST
1938 - 2011
HPI: 69.21
Rank: 43
Zdeněk Miler
COMIC ARTIST
1921 - 2011
HPI: 68.99
Rank: 44
C. Odumegwu Ojukwu
POLITICIAN
1933 - 2011
HPI: 68.97
Rank: 45
Dev Anand
ACTOR
1923 - 2011
HPI: 68.94
Rank: 46
Betty Ford
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1918 - 2011
HPI: 68.91
Rank: 47
Tom Gehrels
ASTRONOMER
1925 - 2011
HPI: 68.50
Rank: 48
Ernesto Sabato
WRITER
1911 - 2011
HPI: 68.46
Rank: 49
In United States
Among people born in United States, Lynn Margulis ranks 1,188 out of 20,380. Before her are Ginger Rogers (1911), John Brown (1800), Tony Bennett (1926), Paul Allen (1953), Tina Fey (1970), and James Tobin (1918). After her are Vivian Maier (1926), Herbie Hancock (1940), Jayne Mansfield (1933), Daniel Goleman (1946), Richard Dreyfuss (1947), and Dennis Quaid (1954).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsGinger Rogers
ACTOR
1911 - 1995
HPI: 69.23
Rank: 1,182
John Brown
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1800 - 1859
HPI: 69.23
Rank: 1,183
Tony Bennett
SINGER
1926 - 2023
HPI: 69.22
Rank: 1,184
Paul Allen
BUSINESSPERSON
1953 - 2018
HPI: 69.22
Rank: 1,185
Tina Fey
COMEDIAN
1970 - Present
HPI: 69.22
Rank: 1,186
James Tobin
ECONOMIST
1918 - 2002
HPI: 69.22
Rank: 1,187
Lynn Margulis
BIOLOGIST
1938 - 2011
HPI: 69.21
Rank: 1,188
Vivian Maier
PHOTOGRAPHER
1926 - 2009
HPI: 69.21
Rank: 1,189
Herbie Hancock
MUSICIAN
1940 - Present
HPI: 69.20
Rank: 1,190
Jayne Mansfield
ACTOR
1933 - 1967
HPI: 69.20
Rank: 1,191
Daniel Goleman
WRITER
1946 - Present
HPI: 69.20
Rank: 1,192
Richard Dreyfuss
ACTOR
1947 - Present
HPI: 69.20
Rank: 1,193
Dennis Quaid
ACTOR
1954 - Present
HPI: 69.19
Rank: 1,194
Among BIOLOGISTS In United States
Among biologists born in United States, Lynn Margulis ranks 22. Before her are Sylvia Earle (1935), John Hopfield (1933), Robert Whittaker (1920), Hamilton O. Smith (1931), Sam Harris (1967), and John Franklin Enders (1897). After her are Gerald Edelman (1929), Edward B. Lewis (1918), Daniel Nathans (1928), E. O. Wilson (1929), Howard Martin Temin (1934), and Joshua Lederberg (1925).
Sylvia Earle
1935 - Present
HPI: 69.82
Rank: 16
John Hopfield
1933 - Present
HPI: 69.81
Rank: 17
Robert Whittaker
1920 - 1980
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 18
Hamilton O. Smith
1931 - Present
HPI: 69.52
Rank: 19
Sam Harris
1967 - Present
HPI: 69.51
Rank: 20
John Franklin Enders
1897 - 1985
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 21
Lynn Margulis
1938 - 2011
HPI: 69.21
Rank: 22
Gerald Edelman
1929 - 2014
HPI: 69.05
Rank: 23
Edward B. Lewis
1918 - 2004
HPI: 68.97
Rank: 24
Daniel Nathans
1928 - 1999
HPI: 68.94
Rank: 25
E. O. Wilson
1929 - 2021
HPI: 68.83
Rank: 26
Howard Martin Temin
1934 - 1994
HPI: 68.62
Rank: 27
Joshua Lederberg
1925 - 2008
HPI: 68.62
Rank: 28