Erik Stensiö
Encyclopedia
Erik Helge Osvald Stensiö (2 October 1891 – 11 January 1984) was a Swedish
paleozoologist
.
Erik Andersson, as his original name was, was born in the village of Stensjö in Döderhult parish in Kalmar County
; he later took his new surname from his place of origin and is occasionally referred to with both names (as Erik Andersson Stensiö or Erik A. Stensiö). He received his Ph.D. and a docent
ship in paleontology from Uppsala University
in 1921 and became professor and keeper at the Zoopaleontological (later called the Paleozoological) department of the Swedish Museum of Natural History
in Stockholm
in 1923, a position he held until his retirement in 1959.
Stensiö specialized in the anatomy and evolution of "lower" vertebrate
s. His studies of placoderms showed them to be related to modern shark
s. His first major work was Triassic fishes from Spitzbergen (part I: Vienna 1921; part II: Stockholm 1925) was based on material collected during his expeditions to Spitsbergen
in 1912, 1913, 1915 and 1916. For his work, The Downtonian and Devonian Vertebrates of Spitzbergen, Part I, Stensiö was awarded the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal
from the National Academy of Sciences
in 1926.
He founded the so-called Stockholm school in paleozoology, continued notably by his successors in the professorship Erik Jarvik
and Tor Ørvig
.
Stensiö was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
from 1927 and was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society
in 1946. He received the Wollaston Medal
in 1953, and the Linnean Medal
of the Linnean Society of London
in 1957. He was awarded the Linnean Society of London
's prestigious Darwin-Wallace Medal
in 1958.
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....
paleozoologist
Paleozoology
Paleozoology, also spelled as palaeozoology , is the branch of paleontology or paleobiology dealing with the recovery and identification of multicellular animal remains from geological contexts, and the use of these fossils in the reconstruction of prehistoric environments and ancient...
.
Erik Andersson, as his original name was, was born in the village of Stensjö in Döderhult parish in Kalmar County
Kalmar County
Kalmar County is a county or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kronoberg, Jönköping, Blekinge and Östergötland. To the east in the Baltic Sea is the island Gotland....
; he later took his new surname from his place of origin and is occasionally referred to with both names (as Erik Andersson Stensiö or Erik A. Stensiö). He received his Ph.D. and a docent
Docent
Docent is a title at some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks below professor . Docent is also used at some universities generically for a person who has the right to teach...
ship in paleontology from Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
in 1921 and became professor and keeper at the Zoopaleontological (later called the Paleozoological) department of 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 Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1923, a position he held until his retirement in 1959.
Stensiö specialized in the anatomy and evolution of "lower" vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
s. His studies of placoderms showed them to be related to modern shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s. His first major work was Triassic fishes from Spitzbergen (part I: Vienna 1921; part II: Stockholm 1925) was based on material collected during his expeditions to Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
in 1912, 1913, 1915 and 1916. For his work, The Downtonian and Devonian Vertebrates of Spitzbergen, Part I, Stensiö was awarded the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal
Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal
The Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences "for meritorious work in zoology or paleontology published in a three- to five-year period." Named after Daniel Giraud Elliot, it was first awarded in 1917....
from the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 1926.
He founded the so-called Stockholm school in paleozoology, continued notably by his successors in the professorship Erik Jarvik
Erik Jarvik
Anders Erik Vilhelm Jarvik was a Swedish palaeozoologist who worked extensively on the sarcopterygian fish Eusthenopteron...
and Tor Ørvig
Tor Ørvig
Tor Ørvig was a Norwegian-born Swedish paleontologist who explored the histology of early vertebrates. He was professor at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm and member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.- References:...
.
Stensiö was a member of 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...
from 1927 and was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1946. He received the Wollaston Medal
Wollaston Medal
The Wollaston Medal is a scientific award for geology, the highest award granted by the Geological Society of London.The medal is named after William Hyde Wollaston, and was first awarded in 1831...
in 1953, and the Linnean Medal
Linnean Medal
The Linnean Medal of the Linnean Society of London was established in 1888, and is awarded annually to alternately a botanist or a zoologist or to one of each in the same year...
of the Linnean Society of London
Linnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is the world's premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history. It publishes a zoological journal, as well as botanical and biological journals...
in 1957. He was awarded the Linnean Society of London
Linnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is the world's premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history. It publishes a zoological journal, as well as botanical and biological journals...
's prestigious Darwin-Wallace Medal
Darwin-Wallace Medal
The Darwin–Wallace Medal is a medal awarded by the Linnean Society of London for "major advances in evolutionary biology". Historically, the medals have been awarded every 50 years, beginning in 1908...
in 1958.
Further reading
- Patterson, C., "Erik Helge Osvald Stensiö", Biographical Memoirs of the Fellows of the Royal Society, 35 (1990), 363–380.