Abstract
ON May 13 occurs the centenary of the death of the distinguished French naturalist and statesman, Baron Cuvier, often referred to as the founder of comparative anatomy. “It was”, says von Zittel, “the creative genius of Cuvier that erected Comparative Anatomy into an independent science, and defined principles upon which the investigation of fossil Vertebrates could be carried out with accuracy. … His greatness rests upon the magnificent work that he accomplished in the domain of Vertebrates, upon the scientific method which he founded for the identification of fossil bones, and upon his successful demonstration that the primeval mammals were not mere varieties of living forms, but belonged to extinct species and genera.“Moreover, Cuvier, by his skill as a lecturer and writer and by his commanding personality, attracted many to the study of geology and palæontology, while, as one of the inspectors appointed by Napoleon to reorganise the schools and colleges of France and other countries, he did much to introduce and extend the teaching of natural history and other sciences.
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Georges Cuvier. Nature 129, 680 (1932). https://doi.org/10.1038/129680a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/129680a0