5 THE PEOPLE 



/A 



95 



comparison might reveal useful keys to evolutionary relationships among 

 the simple marine organisms, which might in turn help to illuminate those 

 pressing traditional morphological questions about the origins of the ver- 

 tebrates and of humans. Conklin and Wilson did compare results and found 

 striking and informative parallels. Many of the cell divisions proceeded in 

 nearly identical ways, with deviations occurring as needed to produce the 

 structural differences in the two adult organisms. 



Wilson also reported that Whitman wished to talk with Conklin about 

 his work. Whitman had been one of the first to suggest that looking at the 

 early cell stages might be useful to answer important evolutionary ques- 

 tions; and he was interested in what he had heard of Conklin's work. 

 Conklin went when invited, of course, and explained what he was doing. 

 Whitman asked what he intended to do with the work, and Conklin re- 

 sponded that he did not know. In fact, he rather despaired of finding 

 someone to publish his dissertation, especially since Brooks had said that 

 publication of Thomas Hunt Morgan's dissertation the year before had used 



Thomas Hunt Morgan, 1923, the first 

 Nobel laureate with MBL connections. 

 Photograph by Alfred F. Huettner, 

 MBL Archives. 



