Taku Komai

He was one of the pioneers of Drosophila genetics and human genetics in Japan. He was born in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. He graduated from the Department of Natural History at Tokyo Higher Normal School after Himeji Middle School, and completed a course in Zoology at the Faculty of Science of Tokyo Imperial University in 1917 (Taisho 6). He became an assistant professor at the Faculty of Science of Kyoto Imperial University in 1920, and then studied Drosophila under Morgan at Columbia University in the United States, pioneering research in this field in Japan. He also served as a professor at Kyoto University, dean of the Faculty of Science at the same university, and professor at the University of Tokyo. He was also a member of the Japan Academy, a member of the Science Council of Japan, and president of the Genetics Society of Japan. As director of the National Institute of Genetics, he played a major role in establishing the foundations of the institute shortly after its establishment. He made significant contributions to taxonomy and developmental research on crustacean stomatopods, coelenterate comb jellies, and protochordata, as well as cytological and genetic research on insects such as butterflies, Drosophila, and ladybugs, as well as snails, cats, and even humans. His many books include "Human Heredity with a Focus on the Japanese" (1951), "Genetics with a Focus on Humankind" (1952), "Evolution of Living Things Based on Genetics" (1963), and "Genetics of Humankind" (1966).

[Kuroda Yukiaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

日本におけるショウジョウバエの遺伝学や人類遺伝学の草分け的存在の一人。兵庫県姫路市生まれ。姫路中学から東京高等師範学校博物学科を卒業、1917年（大正6）東京帝国大学理学部動物学科選科修了。1920年京都帝国大学理学部助教授となり、その後、アメリカのコロンビア大学のモーガンの下でショウジョウバエの研究を行い、日本におけるこの分野の研究の端緒を開いた。京都大学教授、同理学部長、東京大学教授をも兼任。日本学士院会員、日本学術会議会員、日本遺伝学会長も務め、国立遺伝学研究所部長として、設立まもない同研究所の基礎確立に大きな役割を果たした。甲殻綱口脚類や腔腸(こうちょう)動物のクシクラゲ類、原索動物などの分類学、発生学の研究や、チョウ、ショウジョウバエ、テントウムシなどの昆虫やカタツムリ、ネコさらにはヒトの細胞学および遺伝学的研究に大きな貢献をした。著書に『日本人を主とした人間の遺伝』（1951）、『人類を主とした遺伝学』（1952）、『遺伝学に基づく生物の進化』（1963）、『人類の遺伝学』（1966）など多数がある。

［黒田行昭］

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