Johann Jakob Kaup

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Johann Jakob Kaup.

Johann Jakob von Kaup[1] (10 April 1803 – 4 July 1873) was a German naturalist. A proponent of natural philosophy, he believed in an innate mathematical order in nature and he attempted biological classifications based on the Quinarian system. Kaup is also known for having coined popular prehistoric taxa like Pterosauria, Machairodus, Deinotherium, Dorcatherium, and Chalicotherium.

Kaup's pentagram representing the structure of the crow family

Biography

He was born at

Origin of Species he declared himself against its doctrines. The extensive fossil deposits in the neighbourhood of Darmstadt gave him ample opportunities for palaeontological inquiries, and he gained considerable reputation by his Beiträge zur näheren Kenntniss der urweltlichen Säugethiere (1855–1862). He also wrote Classification der Säugethiere und Vögel (1844), and, with Heinrich Georg Bronn, Die Gavial-artigen Reste aus dem Lias (1842–1844). He was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1862.[2]

He died at Darmstadt.

Mastodon fossil

A particularly important incident in the history of paleontology involves Kaup. In 1854 he bought the American mastodon found in 1799 in Orange County, New York. This is the mastodon immortalized in Charles Willson Peale's painting of the 1801 excavation (painting executed between 1806 and 1808). This mastodon was on display for many years in Peale's Museum and is currently on display in Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, Germany[3] This mastodon is the first complete example found in the United States, and may be only the second fossil animal ever mounted for display.

Taxon described by him

Taxon named in his honor

References

  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Kaup, Johann Jakob". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Footnotes

  1. ISBN 978-1-907807-93-0
    .
  2. ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  3. ^ Gaylord Simpson and H. Tobien, George (1954). "The Rediscovery of Peale's Mastodon". Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. 98 (4).
  4. ^ The Etyfish Project

External links

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