Photo: C. Fischer

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1834) was not only one of the most important German-speaking poets, but also a passionate naturalist. In his work on morphology (theory of forms), he aimed to discover a kind of organismal archetype and to explain characteristic varietal features, for example on the basis of plant metamorphosis.

In modern biology, in contrast, morphology only plays a minor role, with research at the molecular level in the foreground. Nevertheless, there are phenomena that cannot be adequately explained with previously developed theories, which reference genetics and environmental influences. The so-called Evo-Devo approach (for Evolutionary Developmental Biology) looks more intensively into the relationship between the development of the individual organism and the species.

In a research project on Goetheanism and flower morphology, for example, the biologist João Felipe Toni asked whether morphology and modern biology are compatible. Cooperation partners included the Natural Sciences Section at the Goetheanum and the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh. For his Master's thesis at the University of Basel, supervised by Dr. Louis Ronse De Craene, the researcher studied the flower development of six species of the rose family using a phenomenological approach: using macroscopic observation, microscopy, and electron microscopy.

His focus was on the question of the basis from which the individual flower organs – such as calyx, crown, and stamen – develop, and how one of these organs (e.g., petal) can be converted in the course of evolution into another (e.g., stamen).  Using images from the electron microscope, João Felipe Toni was able to confirm the metamorphosis of plants, as Goethe postulated. Moreover, Goethe's ideas do not stand in contradiction to the findings of modern biology. They not only make an important contribution to our understanding of the genetic ancestry of flowering plants, but also fruitfully expand the understanding of life and evolution prevalent in modern science. This is evidenced by several publications in renowned academic journals and lively discussions at several scientific conferences where João Felipe Toni presented his study results.