Eric Hultén
Encyclopedia
Oskar Eric Gunnar Hultén (18 March 1894 - 1 February 1981) was a Swedish
botanist
, plant geographer
and 20th century explorer of The Arctic. He was born in Halla in Södermanland
. He took his licentiate
exam 1931 at Stockholm University
and obtained his doctorate degree in botany
at Lund University
in 1937. In his thesis, he coined the term Beringia for the ice-age land bridge between Eurasia
and North America
. From 1945 to 1961, he was a professor
and head of the Botany Section
at the Swedish Museum of Natural History
. In 1953, he was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
as member number 977.
Hultén travelled extensively in the Scandes Mountains
and Siberia
, Kamchatka
(1920–22 together with his spouse Elsie Hultén, Sten Bergman
and René Malaise
), the Aleutian Islands and Alaska
(1932). He published extensive accounts on the flora
of several of these regions and distribution maps of thousands of species.
He was the father of the professor
of art history
and art collector Pontus Hultén
. Hultén authored several botanical monographies on the Nordic area and from his travels in Siberia and the Aleutian Islands. In 1973, he published his memoirs under the title Men roligt har det varit ("But it's been fun").
Several dozen plant species have been named to his honour, e.g.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
botanist
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, plant geographer
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
and 20th century explorer of The Arctic. He was born in Halla in Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
. He took his licentiate
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
exam 1931 at Stockholm University
Stockholm University
Stockholm University is a state university in Stockholm, Sweden. It has over 28,000 students at four faculties, making it one of the largest universities in Scandinavia. The institution is also frequently regarded as one of the top 100 universities in the world...
and obtained his doctorate degree in botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
at Lund University
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
in 1937. In his thesis, he coined the term Beringia for the ice-age land bridge between Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. From 1945 to 1961, he was a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and head of the Botany Section
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
at the Swedish Museum of Natural History
Swedish Museum of Natural History
The Swedish Museum of Natural History , in Stockholm, is one of two major museums of natural history in Sweden, the other one being located in Gothenburg....
. In 1953, he was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
as member number 977.
Hultén travelled extensively in the Scandes Mountains
Scandinavian Mountains
The Scandinavian Mountains or the Scandes, in Swedish Skanderna, Fjällen or Kölen , in Finnish Köli and in Norwegian Kjølen, with the three latter meaning The Keel, are a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula...
and Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, Kamchatka
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
(1920–22 together with his spouse Elsie Hultén, Sten Bergman
Sten Bergman
Sten Bergman was a Swedish zoologist, who visited Korea, Kamchatka, Papua New Guinea, and many other places.- Bergman's bear :...
and René Malaise
René Malaise
René Edmond Malaise was a Swedish entomologist, explorer and art collector who is mostly known for his invention of the Malaise trap and his systematic collection of thousands of insects.-Early career:...
), the Aleutian Islands and Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
(1932). He published extensive accounts on the flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
of several of these regions and distribution maps of thousands of species.
He was the father of the professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
and art collector Pontus Hultén
Pontus Hultén
Karl Gunnar Vougt Pontus Hultén was a Swedish art collector and museum director. Pontus Hultén is regarded as one of the most distinguished museum professionals of the twentieth century...
. Hultén authored several botanical monographies on the Nordic area and from his travels in Siberia and the Aleutian Islands. In 1973, he published his memoirs under the title Men roligt har det varit ("But it's been fun").
Several dozen plant species have been named to his honour, e.g.
- Ligusticum hulteniiLigusticumLigusticum is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Its name is believed to derive from the Italian region of Liguria....
, by Merritt Lyndon FernaldMerritt Lyndon FernaldMerritt Lyndon Fernald was an American botanist. In his time he was regarded as the most respected scholar of the taxonomy and phytogeography of the vascular plant flora of temperate eastern North America. He published more than 850 scientific papers and wrote and edited the seventh and eighth... - Salix hulteniiSalix hulteniiSalix hultenii is a species of willow native to Hokkaidō , Kuriles, Sakhalin and Kamchatka .It is a deciduous small tree or large shrub, reaching a height of 15 m....
, by Floderus