Alfred Grandidier

Alfred Gran Didier ( born December 20 1836 in Paris, † September 13, 1921, ibid ) was a French naturalist and world traveler. Its official botanical author abbreviation is " Grandid. ".

Travels

Travel 1857-1860

From a wealthy family, he undertook from 1859 to 1860 together with his brother Ernest a world tour, which was initially led by the French astronomer Pierre Jules César Janssen. This, however, had to return due to illness in his home after six months.

During this trip, the two visited South America (especially the Andes, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Brazil ), Alfred Grandidier collected numerous species, which were later analyzed by his brother Ernest.

Then parted ways the brothers, Ernest went to China, while Alfred (east) - India and Ceylon traveled. He had planned to explore the Tibetan highlands, but was prevented from fever in the execution of his project.

Gran Didier then traveled to Zanzibar, where he remained a long time to partly recover to arrange partly to its extensive natural history collections.

Travel 1865-1870

After a trip to Reunion 1865 for the first time he came to Madagascar. The island was Gran Didier's largest research project. Until his final return to France, he crossed Madagascar three times, he put 2500 km along the coast and more than 3,000 km inland back.

The main product of this extensive research trip was the first card of Madagascar. In addition, Gran Didier first discovered the remains of the elephant bird ( Aepyornis maximus), which is considered due to its size of today's researchers as the origin of the Arab Roch legends.

Publications

Back in France, he published together with the ornithologist Alphonse Milne -Edwards and the zoologist Léon Vaillant 's most important natural history book on Madagascar, " L' Histoire politique, physique et naturelle de Madagascar". The work appeared in more than 30 volumes, the publication of the last volumes did not live to Gran Didier.

Influence on colonialism

Gran Didier's stories and commitment to Madagascar accelerated also the interest of colonial France on the island. France in 1885, Madagascar awarded at the international conference of the Congo as a lobby area, 1896 built one, after cessation of the last ruler of Ranavalona III. , Against the will of the indigenous population a protectorate.

Writings

  • Histoire physique, naturelle et politique de Madagascar. Paris ( 1876)
  • Carte de l' ile de Madagascar. Paris ( 1885)
  • About the East coast of Madagascar. ( in the Bulletin de la Société de Géographie 1886)
  • Histoire de la géographie de la Madagascar. Paris ( 1893)
  • Les voyageurs francais à Madagascar pendant les dernières années 30. (1894 )
Astronomy Highland (landform) Arab people Roc (mythology) Alphonse Milne-Edwards International Plant Names Index Integrated Authority File
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