Georg Wilhelm Steller
Encyclopedia
Georg Wilhelm Steller (10 March 1709 – 14 November 1746) was a German
botanist, zoologist, physician
and explorer, who worked in Russia
and is considered the discoverer of Alaska
and a pioneer of Alaskan natural history.
in Germany
, son to Johann Jakob Stöhler (after 1715, Stöller), and studied at the University of Wittenberg
. He then traveled to Russia
, arriving in November 1734. He met the naturalist
Daniel Gottlieb Messerschmidt
(1685–1735) at the Imperial Academy of Sciences
. Two years after Messerschmidt's death, Steller married his widow and acquired notes from his travels in Siberia
not handed over to the academy
.
Steller heard about Vitus Bering
’s Second Kamchatka Expedition, that had already left St Petersburg in February 1733. He volunteered to join it and was accepted. He then left St Petersburg in January 1738, met Johann Georg Gmelin
in Yeniseisk in January 1739, and finally reached Okhotsk
and the main expedition in March 1740.
In September 1740, the expedition sailed to the Kamchatka Peninsula
. Steller spent the winter in Bolsherechye
, where he helped to organize a local school. He was then appointed to join Bering on the voyage to America. The expedition landed in Alaska
at Kayak Island
on Monday 20 July 1741, wanting only to stay long enough to take on fresh water. Steller forced Captain Bering to give him more time for his expedition and was granted 10 hours. During this time, as the first non-native to have set foot upon Alaskan soil, Steller became the first European naturalist to describe a number of North American plants and animals, including a jay later named Steller's Jay
.
Of the 6 species of birds and mammals that were discovered by and, generally, named after the star-crossed scientist, two are extinct (the Steller's sea cow
and the Spectacled Cormorant
), and three are endangered or in severe decline (Steller's sea lion
, Steller's Eider
and Steller's Sea Eagle
). The sea cow, in particular, a massive northern relative of the manatee
, lasted barely 25 years after Steller discovered and named it, a victim of the rapacious otter-hunting Russian crews that followed in Bering's wake. To be named after this unfortunate man was to be doomed to a precarious existence at best, or perhaps a death sentence.
The exception, the only species that is still around in any numbers, is the instantly recognizable and mischievous Steller's Jay
. In his brief encounter with the bird – he had been allowed a mere 10 hours to go ashore and collect specimens when Bering's ship made initial landfall in Alaska – Steller was able to deduce that the jay was kin to the American Blue Jay
, which convinced him that Alaska was indeed part of North America. In the years since, while the other species associated with him by name have become more scarce or have disappeared altogether, the Steller's Jay
is still around.
On the return journey the expedition was shipwrecked on what later became known as Bering Island
. Here Bering died, and almost half of the crew perished from scurvy
. The remaining men settled with little food or water to survive the winter, the camp plagued by arctic fox
es. Despite the hardships of overwintering, Steller studied the flora, fauna, and topography of the island in great detail. Notably, he collected the only detailed behavioral and anatomical observations of Steller's sea cow
, a large sirenian mammal whose global range was confined to the shallow kelp beds around the Commander Islands, and which was driven to extinction within 30 years of discovery by Europeans.
Based on these and other observations, Steller later wrote De Bestiis Marinis, describing the fauna of the island, including the Northern fur seal
, the sea otter
, Steller's sea lion
, Steller's sea cow
, Steller's Eider
and the Spectacled Cormorant
. Steller claimed the only recorded sighting of the marine cryptid
Steller's sea ape.
In the spring of 1742 the crew constructed a new vessel to return to Avacha Bay
and nicknamed it The Bering. Steller spent the next two years exploring the Kamchatka peninsula. He was recalled to Saint Petersburg but caught a fever on the journey and died at Tyumen
.
His journals did reach the Academy and were published by Peter Simon Pallas
and were later used by other explorers of the North Pacific, including Captain Cook.
named after him: Steller Secondary School
.
Animals and plants named after Georg Steller include:
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
botanist, zoologist, physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and explorer, who worked in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and is considered the discoverer of 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...
and a pioneer of Alaskan natural history.
Biography
Steller was born in Windsheim, near NurembergNuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, son to Johann Jakob Stöhler (after 1715, Stöller), and studied at the University of Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
. He then traveled to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, arriving in November 1734. He met the naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
Daniel Gottlieb Messerschmidt
Daniel Gottlieb Messerschmidt
Daniel Gottlieb Messerschmidt was a German physician, naturalist and geographer. He was born in Danzig and studied medicine in Jena and Halle, obtained his doctorate degree in the latter in 1713 and settled as a medical doctor in Danzig. In 1716, he came into contact with Russian emperor Peter...
(1685–1735) at the Imperial Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
. Two years after Messerschmidt's death, Steller married his widow and acquired notes from his travels in 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...
not handed over to the academy
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
.
Steller heard about Vitus Bering
Vitus Bering
Vitus Jonassen Bering Vitus Jonassen Bering Vitus Jonassen Bering (also, less correNavy]], a captain-komandor known among the Russian sailors as Ivan Ivanovich. He is noted for being the first European to discover Alaska and its Aleutian Islands...
’s Second Kamchatka Expedition, that had already left St Petersburg in February 1733. He volunteered to join it and was accepted. He then left St Petersburg in January 1738, met Johann Georg Gmelin
Johann Georg Gmelin
Johann Georg Gmelin was a German naturalist, botanist and geographer.- Early life and education :Gmelin was born in Tübingen, the son of an professor at the University of Tübingen. He was a gifted child and begun attending university lectures at the age of 14. In 1727, he graduated with a medical...
in Yeniseisk in January 1739, and finally reached Okhotsk
Okhotsk
Okhotsk is an urban locality and a seaport at the mouth of the Okhota River on the Sea of Okhotsk, in Okhotsky District, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. Population: 4,470 ;...
and the main expedition in March 1740.
In September 1740, the expedition sailed to the Kamchatka Peninsula
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...
. Steller spent the winter in Bolsherechye
Bolsherechye
Bolsherechye is an urban locality and the administrative center of Bolsherechensky District of Omsk Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Omsk along the Irtysh River. Population:...
, where he helped to organize a local school. He was then appointed to join Bering on the voyage to America. The expedition landed in 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...
at Kayak Island
Kayak Island
Kayak Island , which includes the Bering Expedition Landing Site, is located in the Gulf of Alaska, 100 km SE of Cordova, Alaska Malaspina Coastal Plain. It has a land area of 73.695 km² and no population....
on Monday 20 July 1741, wanting only to stay long enough to take on fresh water. Steller forced Captain Bering to give him more time for his expedition and was granted 10 hours. During this time, as the first non-native to have set foot upon Alaskan soil, Steller became the first European naturalist to describe a number of North American plants and animals, including a jay later named Steller's Jay
Steller's Jay
The Steller's Jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, and Pine Jay...
.
Of the 6 species of birds and mammals that were discovered by and, generally, named after the star-crossed scientist, two are extinct (the Steller's sea cow
Steller's Sea Cow
Steller's sea cow was a large herbivorous marine mammal. In historical times, it was the largest member of the order Sirenia, which includes its closest living relative, the dugong , and the manatees...
and the Spectacled Cormorant
Spectacled Cormorant
The Spectacled Cormorant or Pallas's Cormorant is an extinct marine bird of the cormorant family of seabirds that inhabited Bering Island and possibly other places in the Komandorski Islands and the nearby coast of Kamchatka...
), and three are endangered or in severe decline (Steller's sea lion
Steller's Sea Lion
The Steller sea lion also known as the northern sea lion, is a threatened species of sea lion in the northern Pacific. It is the sole member of the genus Eumetopias and the largest of the eared seals . Among pinnipeds, it is inferior in size only to the walrus and the two elephant seals...
, Steller's Eider
Steller's Eider
The Steller's Eider is a medium-large sea duck that breeds along the Arctic coasts of eastern Siberia and Alaska. The lined nest is built on tundra close to the sea, and 6-10 eggs are laid....
and Steller's Sea Eagle
Steller's Sea Eagle
The Steller's Sea Eagle, Haliaeetus pelagicus, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It lives in coastal northeastern Asia and mainly preys on fish. It is, on average, the heaviest eagle in the world, at about , but often lags behind the Harpy Eagle and Philippine Eagle in other...
). The sea cow, in particular, a massive northern relative of the manatee
Manatee
Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows...
, lasted barely 25 years after Steller discovered and named it, a victim of the rapacious otter-hunting Russian crews that followed in Bering's wake. To be named after this unfortunate man was to be doomed to a precarious existence at best, or perhaps a death sentence.
The exception, the only species that is still around in any numbers, is the instantly recognizable and mischievous Steller's Jay
Steller's Jay
The Steller's Jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, and Pine Jay...
. In his brief encounter with the bird – he had been allowed a mere 10 hours to go ashore and collect specimens when Bering's ship made initial landfall in Alaska – Steller was able to deduce that the jay was kin to the American Blue Jay
Blue Jay
The Blue Jay is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to North America. It is resident through most of eastern and central United States and southern Canada, although western populations may be migratory. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common near and in...
, which convinced him that Alaska was indeed part of North America. In the years since, while the other species associated with him by name have become more scarce or have disappeared altogether, the Steller's Jay
Steller's Jay
The Steller's Jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, and Pine Jay...
is still around.
On the return journey the expedition was shipwrecked on what later became known as Bering Island
Bering Island
Bering Island is located off the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Bering Sea. At long by wide, it is the largest of the Commander Islands with the area of ....
. Here Bering died, and almost half of the crew perished from scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
. The remaining men settled with little food or water to survive the winter, the camp plagued by arctic fox
Arctic fox
The arctic fox , also known as the white fox, polar fox or snow fox, is a small fox native to Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. The Greek word alopex, means a fox and Vulpes is the Latin version...
es. Despite the hardships of overwintering, Steller studied the flora, fauna, and topography of the island in great detail. Notably, he collected the only detailed behavioral and anatomical observations of Steller's sea cow
Steller's Sea Cow
Steller's sea cow was a large herbivorous marine mammal. In historical times, it was the largest member of the order Sirenia, which includes its closest living relative, the dugong , and the manatees...
, a large sirenian mammal whose global range was confined to the shallow kelp beds around the Commander Islands, and which was driven to extinction within 30 years of discovery by Europeans.
Based on these and other observations, Steller later wrote De Bestiis Marinis, describing the fauna of the island, including the Northern fur seal
Northern Fur Seal
The Northern fur seal is an eared seal found along the north Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk. It is the largest member of the fur seal subfamily and the only species in the genus Callorhinus.-Physical description:Northern fur seals have extreme sexual dimorphism, with males...
, the sea otter
Sea Otter
The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals...
, Steller's sea lion
Steller's Sea Lion
The Steller sea lion also known as the northern sea lion, is a threatened species of sea lion in the northern Pacific. It is the sole member of the genus Eumetopias and the largest of the eared seals . Among pinnipeds, it is inferior in size only to the walrus and the two elephant seals...
, Steller's sea cow
Steller's Sea Cow
Steller's sea cow was a large herbivorous marine mammal. In historical times, it was the largest member of the order Sirenia, which includes its closest living relative, the dugong , and the manatees...
, Steller's Eider
Steller's Eider
The Steller's Eider is a medium-large sea duck that breeds along the Arctic coasts of eastern Siberia and Alaska. The lined nest is built on tundra close to the sea, and 6-10 eggs are laid....
and the Spectacled Cormorant
Spectacled Cormorant
The Spectacled Cormorant or Pallas's Cormorant is an extinct marine bird of the cormorant family of seabirds that inhabited Bering Island and possibly other places in the Komandorski Islands and the nearby coast of Kamchatka...
. Steller claimed the only recorded sighting of the marine cryptid
Cryptid
In cryptozoology and sometimes in cryptobotany, a cryptid is a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is unrecognized by scientific consensus and often regarded as highly unlikely. Famous examples include the Yeti in the Himalayas and the Loch Ness Monster in...
Steller's sea ape.
In the spring of 1742 the crew constructed a new vessel to return to Avacha Bay
Avacha Bay
Avacha Bay is a Pacific Ocean bay on the southeastern coast of Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. It is long and wide , with a maximum depth of 26 m....
and nicknamed it The Bering. Steller spent the next two years exploring the Kamchatka peninsula. He was recalled to Saint Petersburg but caught a fever on the journey and died at Tyumen
Tyumen
Tyumen is the largest city and the administrative center of Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located on the Tura River east of Moscow. Population: Tyumen is the oldest Russian settlement in Siberia. Founded in 16th century to support Russia's eastward expansion, the city has remained one of the most...
.
His journals did reach the Academy and were published by Peter Simon Pallas
Peter Simon Pallas
Peter Simon Pallas was a German zoologist and botanist who worked in Russia.- Life and work :Pallas was born in Berlin, the son of Professor of Surgery Simon Pallas. He studied with private tutors and took an interest in natural history, later attending the University of Halle and the University...
and were later used by other explorers of the North Pacific, including Captain Cook.
Legacy
There is a secondary school in Anchorage, AlaskaAnchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
named after him: Steller Secondary School
Steller Secondary School
Steller Secondary School is an alternative school located in Anchorage, Alaska. It is based on the philosophy that students have the right to control their own education. The Anchorage School District established the school in 1974 as a response to a proposal by the Committee of Alternative...
.
Animals and plants named after Georg Steller include:
- Steller's EiderSteller's EiderThe Steller's Eider is a medium-large sea duck that breeds along the Arctic coasts of eastern Siberia and Alaska. The lined nest is built on tundra close to the sea, and 6-10 eggs are laid....
(Polysticta stelleri) - Steller's JaySteller's JayThe Steller's Jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, and Pine Jay...
(Cyanocitta stelleri) - Steller's Sea EagleSteller's Sea EagleThe Steller's Sea Eagle, Haliaeetus pelagicus, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It lives in coastal northeastern Asia and mainly preys on fish. It is, on average, the heaviest eagle in the world, at about , but often lags behind the Harpy Eagle and Philippine Eagle in other...
(Haliaeetus pelagicus) - Steller's sea cowSteller's Sea CowSteller's sea cow was a large herbivorous marine mammal. In historical times, it was the largest member of the order Sirenia, which includes its closest living relative, the dugong , and the manatees...
(Hydrodamalis gigas) - Steller's sea lionSteller's Sea LionThe Steller sea lion also known as the northern sea lion, is a threatened species of sea lion in the northern Pacific. It is the sole member of the genus Eumetopias and the largest of the eared seals . Among pinnipeds, it is inferior in size only to the walrus and the two elephant seals...
(Eumetopias jubatus) - Gumboot chitonGumboot chitonThe gumboot chiton, Cryptochiton stelleri, also known as the giant pacific chiton, is the largest of the chitons, growing to 36 cm and over 2000 grams. It is found along the shores of the northern Pacific Ocean from Central California to Alaska, across the Aleutian Islands to the...
(Cryptochiton stelleri) - Hoary MugwortArtemisia (plant)Artemisia is a large, diverse genus of plants with between 200 to 400 species belonging to the daisy family Asteraceae. It comprises hardy herbs and shrubs known for their volatile oils. They grow in temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, usually in dry or semi-dry...
(Artemisia stelleriana) - Stellera L. (ThymelaeaceaeThymelaeaceaeThymelaeaceae is a cosmopolitan family of flowering plants composed of 50 genera and 898 species. It was established in 1789 by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu.Thymelaeaceae is in the order Malvales...
)
External links
Commander (Komandorskie) Islands Steller, Georg Wilhelm Poetry on Steller German National Geographic magazine about the diary of Steller- Extracts from De Bestiis Marinis, or, The Beasts of the Sea (1751)