biology

Ryuichi Matsuda

Ryuichi Matsuda is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ryuichi Matsuda rather than just read about it. In short: Ryuichi Matsuda (July 8, 1920 – June 19, 1986) was a Japanese entomologist and notable advocate of the extended evolutionary synthesis. Biography Matsuda obtained his PhD in entomology from Stanford University.

Key takeaways

Ryuichi Matsuda belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ryuichi Matsuda to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ryuichi Matsuda from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ryuichi Matsuda (July 8, 1920 – June 19, 1986) was a Japanese entomologist and notable advocate of the extended evolutionary synthesis.

Biography Matsuda obtained his PhD in entomology from Stanford University. He worked at the Biosystematics Research Institute of Canada (1968–1986). He wrote several works on the comparative morphology of insects and is most well known for his controversial book Animal Evolution in Changing Environments (1987). He coined the term "pan-environmentalism" for an extended evolutionary synthesis which he saw as a fusion of Darwinism with neo-Lamarckism. He held that heterochrony is a main mechanism for evolutionary change and that novelty in evolution can be generated by genetic assimilation. His views were criticized by reviewers for being based on speculation. Arthur M. Shapiro noted that "Matsuda himself accepts too much at face value and is prone to wish-fulfilling interpretation." In contrast, John T. Polhemus positively reviewed the book, suggesting that it "should be on the shelf of anyone seriously interested in evolution theory". Interest in Matsuda's research was revived by Brian K. Hall, Gerd B. Müller and others in the volume Environment, Development, and Evolution: Toward a Synthesis (2004) which was a tribute to his ideas.

Selected publications Morphology and Evolution of the Insect Head (1965) Morphology and Evolution of the Insect Thorax (1970) Morphology and Evolution of the Insect Abdomen, with Special Reference to Developmental Patterns and their Bearings on Systematics (1976) Animal Evolution in Changing Environments: With Special Reference to Abnormal Metamorphosis (1987)

References

Further reading Brian K. Hall, Roy D. Pearson, Gerd B. Müller. (2004). Environment, Development, and Evolution: Toward a Synthesis. MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-08319-1

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ryuichi Matsuda

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ryuichi Matsuda claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ryuichi Matsuda before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ryuichi Matsuda ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ryuichi Matsuda

In research: Ryuichi Matsuda appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ryuichi Matsuda in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ryuichi Matsuda is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1920 births, 1986 deaths, 20th-century Japanese zoologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ryuichi Matsuda outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Ryuichi Matsuda” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Ryuichi Matsuda in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ryuichi Matsuda means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ryuichi Matsuda out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ryuichi Matsuda in simple terms?

Ryuichi Matsuda (July 8, 1920 – June 19, 1986) was a Japanese entomologist and notable advocate of the extended evolutionary synthesis. Biography Matsuda obtained his PhD in entomology from Stanford University.

Why does Ryuichi Matsuda matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ryuichi Matsuda?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ryuichi Matsuda.