Georges Cuvier.

When we think of scientists that changed our world view fundamentally and forever, Newton, Darwin, Galileo, Einstein, and a host of others come to mind but we never learn about Georges Cuvier.

Cuvier was a naturalist in the early 19th century who worked to compare fossils with living creatures. He essentially created the fields of comparative anatomy and paleontology and established extinction as a fact.

The Galerie de Paleontologie et Anatomie Comparee in Paris is a delightful place to visit to learn more about this field and Cuvier’s role and the place is visually stunning. The gallery was inaugurated in 1898 and does not look like it has had a coat of paint since. The place was built 70 years after Cuvier’s work and 40 years after Darwin published Origin of Species but the links are all clear.

There is also a small homage to Cuvier in the history building where it is possible to see his original notebooks and specimens and humble observations. “a veritable history proved by the monuments that anyone can consult and where everyone will read them like me, but they make just a tiny fragment of the huge history of the world”.

Cuvier’s bust is at the head of the whale skeletons. Interesting that the embarrassment of the human form is prevented by a strategically placed fig leaf.

More on Georges Cuvier http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Cuvier