A recent anthology by philosophers of science challenging the "modern synthesis" in evolution draws an intelligent review from NDPR, here: https://ndpr.nd.edu/news/challenging-the-modern-synthesis-adaptation-development-and-inheritanc/ What had to be brought together was some sort of Darwinian account of evolution on the one hand and Me ndelian genetics on the other. The late 1930s and early 1940s were key, and the gelling of the synthesis involved a seminal book by Theodosius Dobzhansky in 1937, and another by Ernst Mayr in 1942 The term "modern synthesis" was attached to such work in the subtitle of a book by Julian Huxley, also in 1942. I'll quote the review directly for some institutional history: During this period significant institution building was taking place, coupled with theoretically significant gate-keeping. The Committee on Common Problems of Genetics, Paleontology, and Systematics, supported by a United States National Res...