Famous German Paleontologists

German paleontologist Karl aAlfred, knight von Zittel had been a professor at Karlsruhe Polytechnic and the University of Munich. Following an expedition to Libya, he proved that the Sahara had not been submerged in water during the Pleistocene Ice Age. One of his best-known works is Handbuch der Palaeontologie.

German geologist and paleontologist Christian Leopold von Buch initially worked as an inspector of mines, before his geological expedition in the Alps. He studied volcanoes in Italy and the Canary Islands and rocks in Scandinavia, too. He is, however, best remembered for defining the Jurassic System.

German geologist, mineralogist, and paleontologist Friedrich August von Quenstedt defined the stratigraphic sequence of rocks and fossils of the Jurassic Period in the Swabian region of Germany. Later, five genera and the mineral quenstedtite were named in his honor. He taught at the University of Tübingen.

Best remembered for his research on the structures of the Earth’s crust, German-American geologist Walter Herman Bucher also taught at reputed institutes such as the University of Cincinnati and Columbia University. The Penrose Medal winner also penned works such as The Deformation of the Earth’s Crust.