FlyBase is saddened to inform the Drosophila and broader scientific communities of the passing of Dr. Dan Lindsley. While we are all familiar with the two editions of “The RedBook” and understand their importance and utility to Drosophila research, we should also acknowledge the years of hard work and dedication to the community that went into the assembling of those editions. “The RedBook” was the foundation of FlyBase and it was Dan’s foresight that aided in its creation. He was a primary initiator of the annual Drosophila Research Conference, the first of which took place in 1958. Dan’s contribution to all of us was enormous, broadly recognized, and appreciated. Dan was a master and creative contributor to the practice of “Chromosome Mechanics” — the manipulation of the fly genome by pure and elegant genetic means. This prowess resulted in one of the earliest genomic level dissections of the fly’s genome in a collaboration with his long-time friend and colleague Larry Sandler. The two labs’ classic paper in GENETICS should be required reading for everyone working with Drosophila. Dan had an enormous influence on the field of genetics and how it is and should be practiced. His contributions were numerous, seminal, and elegant. We note his passing with great sadness and deep appreciation for what he has given to us all.

Additional obituaries can be found at:
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/fruit-fly-geneticist-dan-lindsley-dies-64377
http://biology.ucsd.edu/about/news/article_062818.html