Gabriel Dover

{{Short description|British geneticist}} {{Use British English|date=February 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Gabriel Dover | birth_name = Gabriel A. Dover | native_name_lang = | image =  | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date |df=y|1937|12|13}} | birth_place = Manchester | death_date = {{death date and age |df=y|2018|04|01 |1937|12|13}} | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_co-ordinates =  | other_names = | fields = | workplaces = {{Plainlist| * University of Cambridge * University of Leicester}} | patrons = | education = {{Plainlist| * University of Leeds (BSc) * University of Cambridge (PhD)}} | thesis_title = The genetics and function of the meiotic pairing-control systems in the triticinae | thesis_url = http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.453906 | thesis_year = 1972 | doctoral_advisor = Ralph Riley<ref name=riley/> | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = {{Plainlist| * Stephen D. M. Brown<ref>{{cite thesis|degree=PhD|publisher=University of Cambridge|title=The molecular organisation and evolution of rodent genomes|first=Stephen D. M.|last=Brown|year=1981|url=https://copac.jisc.ac.uk/id/31666252?style=html|id={{EThOS|uk.bl.ethos.252843}}|oclc=556404448|archive-date=17 November 2018|access-date=17 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117151320/https://copac.jisc.ac.uk/id/31666252?style=html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1038/285047a0| title = Conservation of segmental variants of satellite DNA of Mus musculus in a related species: Mus spretus| journal = Nature| volume = 285| issue = 5759| pages = 47–9| year = 1980| last1 = Brown | first1 = S. D. M. | author-link1 = Stephen D. M. Brown| last2 = Dover | first2 = G. A. | pmid = 7374752| bibcode = 1980Natur.285...47B| s2cid = 4326610| author-link2 = Gabriel Dover}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | pmid = 6276556 | year = 1981 | last1 = Brown | first1 = S. D. | author-link1 = Stephen D. M. Brown | title = Organization and evolutionary progress of a dispersed repetitive family of sequences in widely separated rodent genomes | journal = Journal of Molecular Biology | volume = 150 | issue = 4 | pages = 441–66 | last2 = Dover | first2 = G | author-link2 = Gabriel Dover | doi=10.1016/0022-2836(81)90374-0 }}</ref> * Enrico Coen<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Brownlee|first1=C.|title=Biography of Enrico Coen|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=101|issue=14|year=2004|pages=4725–4727|issn=0027-8424|doi=10.1073/pnas.0401746101|pmid=15051867|pmc=387315|bibcode=2004PNAS..101.4725B|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Coen|first1=Enrico S.|last2=Thoday|first2=John M.|last3=Dover|first3=Gabriel|title=Rate of turnover of structural variants in the rDNA gene family of Drosophilam elanogaster |journal=Nature| volume=295| issue=5850| year=1982| pages=564–568| issn=0028-0836| doi=10.1038/295564a0| pmid=6799840| bibcode=1982Natur.295..564C|s2cid=4347190}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis|degree=PhD|publisher=University of Cambridge|title=The dynamics of multigene family evolution in Drosophila|first= Enrico Sandro|last=Coen|year=1982|url=http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.348792|oclc=499809938}}</ref>}} | notable_students = | known_for = Molecular drive<ref>{{Cite journal | pmid = 7146894 | year = 1982 | last1 = Dover | first1 = G. A. | author-link1 = Gabriel Dover | title = Molecular drive | journal = Science | location = New York, N.Y. | volume = 218 | issue = 4577 | pages = 1069 | last2 = Strachan | first2 = T | last3 = Coen | first3 = E. S. | last4 = Brown | first4 = S. D. | author-link4 = Stephen D. M. Brown | doi=10.1126/science.7146895 | bibcode = 1982Sci...218.1069D }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1016/0168-9525(86)90211-8| title = Molecular drive in multigene families: How biological novelties arise, spread and are assimilated| journal = Trends in Genetics| volume = 2| pages = 159–165| year = 1986| last1 = Dover | first1 = G. A. }}</ref> | influences = | influenced = | awards = | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | spouse =  | partner =  | children = | signature =  | signature_alt = | website =  | footnotes = }} '''Gabriel A. Dover''' (13 December 1937{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} – 1 April 2018) was a British geneticist, best known for coining the term molecular drive in 1982 to describe a putative third evolutionary force operating distinctly from natural selection and genetic drift.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1038/299111a0| title = Molecular drive: A cohesive mode of species evolution| journal = Nature| volume = 299| issue = 5879| pages = 111–117| year = 1982| last1 = Dover | first1 = Gabriel | pmid = 7110332| bibcode = 1982Natur.299..111D| s2cid = 4317964}}</ref><ref name=scopus>{{Scopus id}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | pmid = 16409378 | year = 2006 | last1 = Wratten | first1 = N. S. | title = Evolutionary and functional analysis of the tailless enhancer in Musca domestica and Drosophila melanogaster | journal = Evolution & Development | volume = 8 | issue = 1 | pages = 6–15 | last2 = McGregor | first2 = A. P. | last3 = Shaw | first3 = P. J. | last4 = Dover | first4 = G. A. | doi = 10.1111/j.1525-142X.2006.05070.x | s2cid = 13560187 }}</ref><ref name=riley/>

==Early life and education== Dover was born in Manchester in 1937. Born to a Jewish family, his adolescence included moving to Palestine in 1938–1942, and again for 5 years after the war, when he lived in Israel on a kibbutz. Described as "deeply politicised" and discomforted with the plight of the Palestinians he returned to the UK, and pursued a life in academia. His first degree was in Hebrew and Aramaic (first class) from the University of London in 1960. He was then awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in botany and genetics from the University of Leeds.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.le.ac.uk/staff/community/people/bereavements/professor-gabriel-dover|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704034829/https://www2.le.ac.uk/staff/community/people/bereavements/professor-gabriel-dover|archive-date=2018-07-04|title=Professor Gabriel Dover — University of Leicester|author=((ep256))|website=www2.le.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=2019-08-02}}</ref> In 1972 he received a PhD from the University of Cambridge for research on the genetics and function of the meiotic pairing-control systems, supervised by Ralph Riley.<ref name="riley" /><ref>{{cite thesis|degree=PhD|publisher=University of Cambridge|title=The genetics and function of the meiotic pairing-control systems in the triticinae.|first= Gabriel A.|last=Dover|year=1972|url=https://copac.jisc.ac.uk/id/23494503?style=html|id={{EThOS|uk.bl.ethos.453906}}|oclc=500428008}}</ref>

==Research and career== Dover's research was on the evolution of genes and genomes, particularly the complex processes that occur in multigene families such as ribosomal RNA genes. His recent work has focused on development in flies, in particular the co-evolution between the developmental regulatory elements involved in morphogenesis.

The majority of his career was spent at the Department of Genetics at the University of Cambridge. In 1992, Dover became a professor of genetics at the University of Leicester.<ref>Dover G. ''Dear Mr Darwin: Letters on the Evolution of Life and Human Nature'' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2000); biographical note, p.4.</ref> He was awarded a Research Fellowship in 1997 and an emeritus Fellowship in 2002 by the Leverhulme Trust.<ref>[http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=104319&sectioncode=26 "Williams L. Fellowships"], ''Times Higher Education Supplement'', 24 October 1997. Retrieved 21 March 2010.<br>- [http://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/news/raac_awards_new/raac_2002.pdf Awards to Individuals 2002, The Leverhulme Trust]. Retrieved 21 March 2010. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221103642/http://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/news/raac_awards_new/raac_2002.pdf |date=21 February 2007 }}</ref>

Dover co-edited the textbook ''Genome Evolution''<ref name=genomevol>''Genome Evolution'' (Academic Press, 1982) {{ISBN missing}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1002/ajmg.1320150223| title = Genome evolution GA Dover and RB Flavell (eds) London: Academic Press Ltd., 1982, $ 19.50| journal = American Journal of Medical Genetics| volume = 15| issue = 2| pages = 349| year = 1983| last1 = Baglioni | first1 = C. }}</ref> with Richard B. Flavell. He also wrote a popular book on evolution, ''Dear Mr Darwin: Letters on the Evolution of Life and Human Nature'',<ref name=deardarwin>''Dear Mr Darwin: Letters on the Evolution of Life and Human Nature'' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2000) {{ISBN|0520227905}}</ref> framed as an exchange of letters with Charles Darwin from beyond the grave. The book seeks to refute the selfish gene theory promulgated by Richard Dawkins.

==Personal life== Dover retired in 2002 and lived in Oxford.<ref name=riley/> He had three children. He died on 1 April 2018 of a chest infection.<ref name=riley>{{cite web |title=Bereavements: Professor Gabriel Dover|publisher=University of Leicester |url=https://www2.le.ac.uk/staff/community/people/bereavements/professor-gabriel-dover |website=le.ac.uk |access-date=3 July 2018 |language=en|first=Bambos|last= Kyriacou|year=2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704034829/https://www2.le.ac.uk/staff/community/people/bereavements/professor-gabriel-dover|archive-date=2018-07-04}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|35em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dover, Gabriel}} Category:1937 births Category:2018 deaths Category:20th-century British biologists Category:British geneticists Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge Category:Academics of the University of Cambridge Category:Academics of the University of Leicester Category:Scientists from Manchester Category:Jewish British scientists