Richard B. Goldschmidt was a distinguished zoologist, biologist, and geneticist. Using moths, Goldschmidt conducted experiments on X-chromosomes to study spontaneous mutation, physiological genetics, and sex determination. He believed that the overall pattern of chromosomes and the chemical configuration of the chromosome molecule determine heredity, rather than the qualities of individual genes that make up the chromosomes. Forced out of Germany by the Nazis, Goldschmidt continued his work in the United States, and in 1940 published his magnum opus The Material Basis of Evolution. In this work, Goldschmidt theorized that macroevolution, in which large mutations he called "hopeful monsters " were created, led to the formation of new species.

Richard Benedict Goldschmidt was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, to Salomon and Emma Rosette Flürscheim Goldschmidt, both members of old German-Jewish families. His father owned and managed a business consisting of a coffeehouse, wine trade, and confectionery. Goldschmidt attended...