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The Notorious B.I.G. | Songs, Albums, & Death | Britannica

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class="topic-left-rail md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/The-Notorious-B-I-G">The Notorious B.I.G.</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <span class="toc-extra-link selected link-gray-900 mt-15"> Introduction </span> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/The-Notorious-B-I-G/additional-info">References &amp; Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/The-Notorious-B-I-G">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/The-Notorious-B-I-G/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/34/243034-050-E2FEC8B2/Notorious-BIG-Biggie-Smalls-performs-London-England-1995.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420664/279679" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/34/243034-004-E52B2864/Notorious-BIG-Biggie-Smalls-performs-London-England-1995.jpg" alt="The Notorious B.I.G." height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/243035-050-EA6CBC4C/Notorious-BIG-Biggie-Smalls-mural-Bushwick-artist-Sipros-Brooklyn-New-York.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420664/279680" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/243035-004-3E02B2D9/Notorious-BIG-Biggie-Smalls-mural-Bushwick-artist-Sipros-Brooklyn-New-York.jpg" alt="Mural of The Notorious B.I.G. in Brooklyn" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-related-quizzes"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> Quizzes </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/quiz/pop-culture-quiz"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/65/129465-131-8F637272/USA-Annual-Academy-Awards-Closeup-entrance-statue-2009.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood" width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/quiz/pop-culture-quiz" >Pop Culture Quiz</a> </div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/quiz/90s-music-quiz"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/11/233911-131-657442F9/Boyz-II-Men-1992.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="American quartet Boyz II Men (left to right) Shawn Stockman, Wanya Morris, Nathan Morris and Michael McClary, 1992. (music, rhythm-and-blues). Photographed at the American Music Awards where they won Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist, Los Angeles, California, January 27, 1992." width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/quiz/90s-music-quiz" >90s Music Quiz</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-related-questions"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 pb-0 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-15"> Related Questions </div> <ul> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/What-are-the-four-main-elements-of-hip-hop">What are the four main elements of hip-hop?</a> </li> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/How-did-hip-hop-get-its-name">How did hip-hop get its name?</a> </li> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/Who-are-the-founders-of-hip-hop">Who are the founders of hip-hop?</a> </li> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/What-was-the-first-major-hip-hop-song">What was the first major hip-hop song?</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-read-next"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> Read Next </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/story/who-killed-tupac-shakur"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/02/162002-131-F6AF3F5C/Tupac-Shakur-1993.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="American rapper and actor Tupac Shakur, 1993 (Lesane Parish Crooks, Tupac Amaru Shakur)" width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/story/who-killed-tupac-shakur" >Who Killed Tupac Shakur?</a> </div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/story/7-notorious-women-criminals"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/19/133719-131-8692A182/Bonnie-Parker-shotgun-Clyde-Barrow-1933.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="Bonnie Parker mockingly points shotgun at Clyde Barrow. 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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2025-02-21T00:00:00CST" >Feb 21, 2025</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/The-Notorious-B-I-G/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn btn-sm border-2 btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 module-spacing js-inline-ai-ask-button p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also called: </dt> <dd>Biggie Smalls</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show&nbsp;more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Byname of: </dt> <dd>Christopher George Latore Wallace</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show&nbsp;more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>May 21, 1972, <a href="/place/Brooklyn-borough-New-York-City">Brooklyn</a>, <a href="/place/New-York-City">New York</a>, U.S.</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show&nbsp;more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Died: </dt> <dd>March 9, 1997, Los Angeles, California (aged 23)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show&nbsp;more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Awards And Honors: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame-and-Museum">Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (2020)</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show&nbsp;more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>On the Web: </dt> <dd><a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/08/23/1195414007/hip-hop-biggie-smalls-notorious-ready-to-die-justin-tinsley" target="_blank">NPR - As hip-hop turns 50, Biggie Smalls' legacy reminds us of what the genre has survived</a> (Feb. 08, 2025)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show&nbsp;more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/The-Notorious-B-I-G"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> <button class="facts-list-show-more-btn mt-15 p-0 mx-auto btn font-14 d-block font-weight-normal"> <span class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></span> <span class="show-more-label">Show More</span> </button> </div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">&#8226;</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/420664/2dddcbec9804ce2eef51dfd8928fb36c" rel="nofollow">Voletta Wallace, Notorious B.I.G.'s mother and keeper of his legacy, dies at 78</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>&#8226;</span> Feb. 21, 2025, 2:40 PM ET (AP) <button class="btn btn-link d-inline p-0 font-12 js-toggle-recent-news"> <span class="text-gray-500">...</span><span>(Show more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/420664/aee581bc157698f8f4833de6a526e9f5" rel="nofollow">Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sues NBC over new documentary as he awaits trial on sex trafficking charges</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>&#8226;</span> Feb. 12, 2025, 5:56 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><!--[BEFORE-ARTICLE]--><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><!--[PREMOD1]--><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref1302556"></span>The Notorious B.I.G.</strong> (born May 21, 1972, Brooklyn, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">New York</a>, U.S.—died March 9, 1997, Los Angeles, California) was an American rapper who was among the most influential artists of 1990s <span id="ref1302565"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/gangsta-rap" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">gangsta rap</a>.</p><!--[MOD1]--><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD2]--><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Wallace grew up near the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Brooklyn-borough-New-York-City" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Brooklyn</a>, New York. For most of his education, he <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="attended" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/attended" data-type="EB">attended</a> Roman Catholic school, where he excelled, but he later persuaded his mother to send him to a public <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/high-school" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">high school</a>. He eventually dropped out of school, however, and made money selling crack cocaine.</p><!--[MOD2]--><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD3]--><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">After developing a talent for <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/rap" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">rap</a> as a pastime, Wallace recorded a demo under the stage name Biggie Smalls. The recording came to the attention of <span id="ref1302566"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sean-Combs" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sean (“Puffy”) Combs</a>, who then worked with Wallace at Uptown Records and in 1993 signed him to a new record label, Bad Boy Entertainment. Wallace’s first single as a solo artist, “Party and Bullshit,” was released the following year, and his first album, <em><span id="ref1302567"></span>Ready to Die</em>, was released in 1994 under the name The <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="Notorious" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Notorious" data-type="MW">Notorious</a> B.I.G. Popular singles from that album include “Juicy” and “Big Poppa”—the latter earning him a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Grammy-Award" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Grammy</a> nomination for best rap solo performance. Both before and after the release of the album, he <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="collaborated" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collaborated" data-type="MW">collaborated</a> with a number of other artists, including <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-J-Blige" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mary J. Blige</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Jackson" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Michael Jackson</a>.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/pop-culture-quiz" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/65/129465-131-8F637272/USA-Annual-Academy-Awards-Closeup-entrance-statue-2009.jpg" alt="USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Pop Culture Quiz</div> </div> </a><!--[MOD3]--><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD4]--><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="279680" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/243035-050-EA6CBC4C/Notorious-BIG-Biggie-Smalls-mural-Bushwick-artist-Sipros-Brooklyn-New-York.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/420664/279680"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/243035-050-EA6CBC4C/Notorious-BIG-Biggie-Smalls-mural-Bushwick-artist-Sipros-Brooklyn-New-York.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/243035-050-EA6CBC4C/Notorious-BIG-Biggie-Smalls-mural-Bushwick-artist-Sipros-Brooklyn-New-York.jpg?w=300" alt="Mural of The Notorious B.I.G. in Brooklyn" data-width="1600" data-height="1119" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/243035-050-EA6CBC4C/Notorious-BIG-Biggie-Smalls-mural-Bushwick-artist-Sipros-Brooklyn-New-York.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420664/279680">Mural of The Notorious B.I.G. in Brooklyn</a><span>A woman passing a mural of The Notorious B.I.G. by Brazilian artist Sipros in Brooklyn, New York.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Wallace’s rapid success was credited with single-handedly reviving the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-City" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">New York City</a>-based “East Coast” <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/hip-hop" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">hip-hop</a> recording labels, which had been overtaken in prominence by the “West Coast” hip-hop labels based in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Los-Angeles-California" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Los Angeles</a>. His work brought Bad Boy Entertainment into competition with Death Row Records in Los Angeles, and that competition in turn made its way into marketing. The rivalry became hyperbolized as an East Coast versus West Coast feud, although it was <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="manifested" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manifested" data-type="MW">manifested</a> primarily in a personal but public dispute between Wallace and his <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="erstwhile" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erstwhile" data-type="MW">erstwhile</a> friend <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tupac-Shakur" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tupac Shakur</a>.</p><!--[MOD4]--><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD5]--><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">On March 9, 1997, Wallace was leaving a party at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles when he was killed in a drive-by shooting. The shooter and the motive remained unknown. Wallace’s second solo album, <em><span id="ref1302568"></span>Life After Death</em>, was released later that month.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><!--[MOD5]--><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD6]--><span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Although Wallace’s career was short, it made a tremendous impact. Artists continued to emulate him in the decades to come, and many of his associates achieved great success. Combs, his producer, launched a highly successful solo career of his own, and his <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="debut" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/debut" data-type="EB">debut</a> album includes a tribute to Wallace—the chart-topping single “I’ll Be Missing You” (1997). <span id="ref1302569"></span>Lil’ Kim, whose <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/music" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">music</a> career was launched in a collaborative project with Wallace, became one of the first female rappers to achieve platinum status. She too paid tribute to him in her performances, although in 2010 she revealed that her relationship with him had been violent. After making an impact for more than two decades, Wallace was inducted into the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame-and-Museum" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Rock and Roll Hall of Fame</a> in 2020. In 2024 the U.S. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Library-of-Congress" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Library of Congress</a> added <em>Ready to Die</em> to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Recording-Registry" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">National Recording Registry</a>, a list of audio recordings deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”</p><!--[MOD6]--><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature font-12"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span><span class="md-signature font-12">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/contributor/encyclopaedia-britannica/12989892">Encyclopaedia Britannica</a>.</span><!--[END-OF-CONTENT]--><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><!--[AFTER-ARTICLE]--><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-simplify-root"></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <!-- Ortto ebmwprod capture code --> <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":420664,"pageLength":480,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.133.36"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.133.36' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"A","adLeg":"A","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"BIO_MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":true} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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