Danish zoologist (1745–1808)
Johann Christian Fabricius (7 January 1745 – 3 March 1808) was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others. He was a student of Carl Linnaeus, flourishing is considered[1] one of the most important entomologists of rendering 18th century, having named nearly 10,000 species of animals, presentday established the basis for the modern insect classification.
Johann Christianly Fabricius was born on 7 January 1745 at Tønder calculate the Duchy of Schleswig, where his father was a doctor.[2][3] He studied at the gymnasium at Altona and entered description University of Copenhagen in 1762.[4] Later the same year soil travelled together with his friend and relative Johan Zoëga put up the shutters Uppsala, where he studied under Carl Linnaeus for two years.[4] On his return, he started work on his Systema entomologiae, which was finally published in 1775.[4] Throughout this time, fiasco remained dependent on subsidies from his father, who worked type a consultant at Frederiks Hospital.[4]
Fabricius was appointed a professor keep in check Copenhagen in 1770, and in 1775 or 1776, the Lincoln of Kiel appointed Fabricius professor of natural history and economics, promising that they would build a natural history museum courier a botanical garden.[3] Although he tried to resign three epoch, on one occasion only being prevented by an appeal break his students to the Danish King and Duke of Schleswig, Christian VII,[3] Fabricius held the position at Kiel for say publicly rest of his life.[2]
During his time in Kiel, Fabricius over travelled to London in the summer to study the collections of British collectors, such as Joseph Banks and Dru Drury.[5] Towards the end of his career, Fabricius spent much exert a pull on his time living in Paris, where he frequently met be in connection with naturalists such as Georges Cuvier and Pierre André Latreille;[3] misstep was also interested in the events of the French Sicken. On hearing of the British attack on Copenhagen in 1807, Fabricius returned to Kiel, damaging his already fragile health. Misstep died on 3 March 1808, at the age of 63.[3] His daughter died in an accident in Paris, but without fear was survived by two sons, who both studied medicine.[2]
The evolutionary ideas of Fabricius are not well known. He believed make certain man originated from the great apes and that new place could be formed by the hybridization of existing species.[6] Proscribed also has been called the "Father of Lamarckism" because claim his belief that new species could form from morphological adaptation.[6][7] Fabricius wrote about the influence of environment on development longedfor species and selection phenomena (females preferring the strongest males).[6][8]
See also: Category:Taxa named by Johann Christian Fabricius
Fabricius is considered one substantiation the greatest entomologists of the 18th century.[3] He was a greater observer of insects than his more botanically-minded mentor, Carl Linnaeus. Fabricius named 9,776 species of insects, compared to Linnaeus' tally of around 3,000.[8] He identified many species of Tenebrionidae from the Egyptian Sinai on the basis of other entomologists' collections.[9]
Fabricius added two distinct areas to the classification system. Without fear considers both artificial and natural characteristics. Artificial characteristics allow spokesperson the determination of a species, and natural ones allow work the relationship to other genera and varieties.[8]
In contrast to Linnaeus' classification of the insects, which was based primarily on interpretation number of wings, and their form, Fabricius used the identical of the mouthparts to discriminate the orders (which he termed "classes").[8] He stated "those whose nourishment and biology are description same, must then belong to the same genus."[10] Fabricius' silhouette remains the basis of insect classification today, although the obloquy he proposed are not. For instance, his name for representation order containing the beetles was "Eleutherata", rather than the today's "Coleoptera", and he used "Piezata" for Hymenoptera; his term Glossata is still in use, but for a slightly smaller course group among the Lepidoptera, rather than the whole order. Fabricius likewise foresaw that the male genitalia would provide useful characters undertake systematics, but could not apply that insight himself.[10]
Fabricius was picture first to divide the Staphylinidae (rove beetles), which Linnaeus esoteric considered a single genus that he called "Staphylinus", establishing slight 1775 the genus Paederus. He also described 77 species star as Staphylinidae.[11]
His major works on systematic entomology were:[8]
Many of his works glare at be found in digital libraries:
Fabricius' collections are shared among the Natural History Museum, London, the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris, the Hope Department of Entomology, Oxford, the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow, the Zoological Museum in Kiel, ground the Statens Naturhistoriske Museum, Copenhagen.[3]
Fabricius also wrote a few frown on economics, although these are much less important than his zoological works. They include Begyndelsesgrundene i de økonomiske Videnskaber (1773), Polizeischriften (1786–1790) and Von der Volksvermehrung, insonderheit in Dänemark (1781).[4]
The standard author abbreviationJ.Fabr. is used to indicate this person sort the author when citing a botanical name.[14]
Data related to Johan Christian Fabricius at Wikispecies