Belon, Pierre

Belon, Pierre

▪ French naturalist
born 1517, near Le Mans, France
died April 1564, Paris
 French naturalist whose discussion of dolphin embryos and systematic comparisons of the skeletons of birds and humans mark the beginnings of modern embryology and comparative anatomy.

      Belon studied botany at the University of Wittenberg (1540) and, under the patronage of François, Cardinal de Tournon, embarked on a tour of eastern Mediterranean countries (1546–48) in order to identify animals, plants, places, and objects described by ancient writers. In the resulting work, Les Observations de plusieurs singularitez et choses mémorables . . . (1553; “Observations of Several Curiosities and Memorable Objects . . .”), he described many animals, plants, drugs, customs, arts, and ruins previously unknown to Europeans and established an itinerary followed by scientific travelers for nearly three centuries afterward.

      Although based on the taxonomy of Aristotle, Belon's L'histoire naturelle des éstranges poissons marins (1551; “Natural History of Unusual Marine Fishes”), much of which is devoted to a discussion of the dolphin, and L'histoire de la nature des oyseaux (1555; “Natural History of Birds”), illustrating, classifying, and describing about 200 species, include original observations and concepts that made a deep impression on contemporary and later science. Belon was murdered by unknown assailants in the Bois de Boulogne.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Belon , Pierre — (1517–1564) French naturalist Belon was born in Le Mans, France, and studied medicine in Paris. In 1540 he went to Germany to study botany, becoming a leading figure in the 16th century revival of natural history that followed the great voyages,… …   Scientists

  • Belon, Pierre — (1517 1564)    French naturalist. Though born to a poor family, he found aristocratic and royal patronage that not only enabled him to study at the University of Paris but also financed his extensive travels through Europe and the Near East to… …   Historical Dictionary of Renaissance

  • BELON, PIERRE —    a French naturalist, one of the founders of natural history, and one of the precursors of Cuvier; wrote in different departments of natural history, the chief, Natural History of Birds ; murdered by robbers while gathering plants in the Bois… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Pierre Belon — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Pierre Belon (1517‑1564) fue un médico, viajero y naturalista francés. Contenido 1 Biografía 2 Anatomía comparada 3 Referencias …   Wikipedia Español

  • Pierre Belon — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Belon.  Pour l’article homophone, voir Pierre Bellon …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Pierre Bellon — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Bellon.  Pour l’article homophone, voir Pierre Belon …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Pierre Belon — (1517‑1564) was a French naturalist. He is sometimes known as Pierre Belon du Mans , or, in Latin translations of his works, as Petrus Bellonius Cenomanus .Belon was born about 1517 near Le Mans (Sarthe). He studied medicine at Paris, where he… …   Wikipedia

  • Pierre Belon — Vergleich der Skelette von Mensch und Vogel. Aus: L histoir …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Pierre Deschien — (baptisé le 14 octobre 1631 à Éclaron[1], mort en 1704) ou Deschiens, est un financier du Grand Siècle, aventurier né pauvre domestique et mort riche seigneur de Valcourt, vicomte de Verneuil et baron de Ressons. Il connut une ascension sociale… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Belon — steht für: Pierre Belon (1517 1564), französischer Naturforscher und Botaniker Belon (Fluss), Küstenfluss in Frankreich, Region Bretagne Belon Auster, französische Austernart Diese Seite ist eine Begrif …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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