The Society of Biological Sciences in Cyprus would like to express its sorrow for the loss of the eminent evolutionary biologist and geneticist Costas B. Krimbas, a leading figure in Greek academia, with a long and bright history of academic positions in several universities and institutes. Prof. Krimbas, in addition to his great contribution to evolutionary biology, was the scientist who introduced and established evolutionary research in Greece and played an important role in disseminating evolutionary thinking among the general public. His multifaceted interests included nature conservation, history and philosophy of biology and science in general, the genetic history of Greeks, and the history of Greek academia. He studied biology at the University of Lausanne and genetics at Sorbonne.
He worked as a researcher at the University of Columbia and was a Professor of Genetics at the Agricultural University of Athens, the Université Paris VI, a Visiting Professor at Harvard, and Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology at the University of Athens. Since 2002 he had been a member of the Academy of Athens. He has received honorary titles from many universities and has served in the boards of several scientific institutes and societies. He has a rich record of scientific publications but also significant publications for the general public. His research included inter alia studies on speciation of cryptic species, the evolutionary and population genetics of Drosophila, as well as on theoretical and conceptual issues in evolutionary biology. He has worked under one of the architects of the ‘modern synthesis’ in evolutionary biology, Theodosius Dobzhansky, with whom he established a life-long relationship like he did with many leading scientists in evolutionary studies and biology in general. In addition to his high international profile, Prof. Krimbas played a key role in promoting evolution and biology in the Greek-speaking world. Our Society hopes to carry on the torch and honour his legacy. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
