Alexander Emanuel Agassiz

Alexander Emanuel Agassiz ( born December 17, 1835 in Neuchâtel / Switzerland, and the United States † March 27, 1910 on the Adriatic (II ) on the way from Southampton to New York ) was a Swiss- American geologist and anatomist. He was Professor of Zoology at Harvard University and director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, now referred to as Louis Agassiz Museum of Comparative Zoology. He is the son of Louis Agassiz and stepson of Elizabeth Cary Agassiz.

Life and work

In 1849 he emigrated with his father Louis Agassiz to the United States. There he began studying engineering and chemistry, graduating with a Bachelor of Science at the Lawrence Scientific School. He then worked until 1859 as an assistant at the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. From 1865 to 1869 he studied biology at Harvard University. 1882 Agassiz was elected a member of the Leopoldina.

In 1902 he received the Order Pour le Mérite of Sciences and Arts.

Like his father, Alexander Agassiz specialist Ichthyology. As superintendent and geologist, he was responsible for copper mines. He led major American expeditions, for example, in 1875 the copper mines of Peru and Chile. The marine expeditions brought him inter alia to the West Indies, Fiji, Panama, Galapagos Islands, Australia and the Great Barrier Reef.

His father, Louis Agassiz had founded the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Alexander Agassiz took over from him in charge of the museum, but was - in contrast to his father - facing the Darwinian worldview. He devoted much of his work in evolutionary research.

Alexander Agassiz was president of the National Academy of Sciences. In his honor, the Alexander Agassiz Medal of the National Academy of Sciences is named, which is awarded for achievements in oceanography since 1913.

Alexander Agassiz Professorships

The Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology at Harvard University, is considered a prestigious position. The professor had, among other things:

  • Richard Lewontin
  • Ernst Mayr 1953-1975
  • Stephen Jay Gould 1982-2002
  • Irvine George Lauder

Publications

  • On the embryology of echinoderms. In: Mem Ann. Acad. Arts and Sci. Vol.9, 1864, doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.11350
  • With EC Agassiz: Seaside Studies in Natural History, Boston JR. Osgood & Co., 1865
  • North American Acephalae. Cambridge 1865 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.40081 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.1837 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.11629
  • Embryology of the starfish. Boston 1865 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.62277
  • Seaside studies in natural history. Boston 1865 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.18084 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.1802
  • Seaside studies in natural history. Boston 1871 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.55568 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.11143
  • Revision of the Echini. Cambridge 1872 - 1874 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.40080
  • North American starfishes. Cambridge 1877 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.15789
  • On the young stages of some osseous fishes. 1877 - 1882 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.52001
  • Selections from embryological monographs. Cambridge 1882 - 1884 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.15858
  • The Porpitidæ and Velellidæ. Cambridge 1883 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.15857
  • Report on the Echini. Cambridge 1883 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.15905
  • Selections from embryological monographs: Crustacea. Volume 3: Acalephs and polyps, Cambridge, 1884.
  • The development of osseous fishes. Cambridge 1885 - 1915 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.49093 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.13160
  • A contribution to American thalassography: Three cruises of the United States Coast and geodetic survey steamer " Blake", doi in the gulf of Mexico, in the Caribbean sea, and along the Atlantic coast of the United States, from 1877 to 1880, Boston, 1888.: 10.5962/bhl.title.2049 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.29828 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.21866 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.26524
  • Calamocrinus diomedæ: a new stalked crinoid, with notes on the apical system and the homo logies of echinoderms. Cambridge 1892 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.16301
  • Medusae. Cambridge 1902 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.41325
  • Preliminary report and list of stations. Cambridge 1902 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.48599
  • The coral reefs of the Maldives. Cambridge 1903 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.41520
  • The coral reefs of the tropical Pacific. Cambridge 1903 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.41332 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.46252
  • The Panamic deep sea Echini. Cambridge 1904 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.41526
  • General report of the expedition. Cambridge 1906 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.41527
  • Hawaiian and other Pacific Echini. Cambridge 1907 - 1917 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.42203
  • Echini. The genus Colobocentrotus. Cambridge 1908 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.48983
  • The shore fishes. Cambridge 1911 doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.39787
RMS Adriatic (1907) Anatomy Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz Darwinism Integrated Authority File
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