The biography of Georg Marcgraf (1610-1643/4) by his brother Christian, translated by James Petiver
1979; Edinburgh University Press; Volume: 9; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.3366/jsbnh.1979.9.3.301
ISSN2053-7808
Autores Tópico(s)Genetic diversity and population structure
ResumoGeorg Marcgraf (or Marcgrave) was born in Liebstadt near Dresden in 1610 and died in Angola in 1643 or 1644. He is best known as the co-author with Willem Pies (or Piso) of the influential Historia naturalis Brasiliae of 1648, a work that for a hundred and fifty years served as the naturalist's vade mecum for Brazil, and indeed for much of the Neotropical region (Piso & Marcgrave, 1648). The abbreviation Marcgr., as well as the curious Brazilian vernacular names to which he gave currency, are frequently met with in 17th and 18th century literature, while many Linnaean and subsequent binomials for animals and plants of Brazil were based wholly or partly on Marcgrafs descriptions and figures. Thus, the Historia is one of those pre-Linnaean works that still demand the attention of the taxonomist. During his six or seven years in Brazil (1638—1643/4), Marcgraf explored such diverse fields as zoology, botany, astronomy, cartography, meteorology and perhaps anthropology. He is a fine example of the polymath working in the field and not the closet. As yet, no comprehensive biography has been attempted of this man whom Gudger (1912) called 'first student of American natural history [who] had he lived but a few years longer to have put into shape his Brazilian collections and observations, would certainly have raised himself to the rank of first natural historian of his time, and possibly the greatest since Aristotle'. The two most important biographical sketches ofMarcgraf have been this paper by Gudger, who concentrated on his zoological work (especially ichthyology); and an earlier paper by Hantsch (1896), who devoted half his essay to Marcgrafs cartography. Gudger did not know Hantsch's essay, while Hantsch did not know Gudger's most important source, the subject of the present paper. Later authors have used Hantsch or Gudger, sometimes both, but have added few new facts and fewer insights. Elsewhere, I have reviewed the various biographical studies and have given a sketch ofMarcgraf s life and an account of his zoology (Whitehead, 1979); a thorough account ofMarcgraf s astronomy is given by North (1979). These two papers, issued as part of the tercentenary celebrations for Marcgrafs patron in Brazil, the Governor-General Count Johan Maurits of Nassau-Siegen, summarize what little is known of Marcgrafs life and activities.
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