Wilhelm Heinrich Waagen
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Heinrich Waagen was a geologist
and paleontologist
. He was born June 23, 1841 in Munich
and died March 24, 1900 in Vienna
.
degree at the University of Munich, where he published an elaborate work on geology that was crowned by the university. In 1866 he became an instructor in palaeontology at the University of Munich and at the same time taught Princess Theresa and Prince Arnulf of Bavaria
. Although an excellent teacher, and especially competent in practical work, Waagen, who was a most loyal Catholic
, had little prospect of obtaining a professorship at the University of Munich. Consequently, in 1870, he accepted the offer of a position as assistant in the geological survey of India
.
In 1875, he returned permanently to Europe because of the severity of the Indian climate. In 1877 he became an instructor at the University of Vienna
in 1877 and lectured with great success on the geology of India. In 1879 Waagen went to the German Polytechnic of Prague as professor of geology and mineralogy; in 1890 he was professor of palaeontology at the University of Vienna; in 1886 he had declined a call to the school of mines at Berlin.
He was named councillor of the board of mines (Oberbergart) and in 1893 was made a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences
.
Waagen's writings before his trip to India treat especially the German Jura and its fossils. He did work of permanent value in the geological investigation of India (the Salt Range) by the scientific presentation of rich palaeontological material. Wilhem Waagen did a pioneer work in the Salt Range. He established a refined lithostratigraphy of the Early Triassic series (Mianwali Formation) that still holds today. This allows to replace most of the ammonoids he described in their original stratigraphic position, an accomplishment rarely achieved by paleontologists in the late 19th Century. He first realized how important the Early Triassic ammonoid succession of the Salt Range was for the construction of the Triassic time scale.
In 1869, after an exhaustive study of ammonites, Waagen advocated the theory of evolution
or mutation for certain series of fossils. As a young man he had taken an active part in the Catholic life of Munich, and two years before his death he wrote a treatise on the first chapter of Genesis that showed both the geologist and the Christian.
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
and paleontologist
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
. He was born June 23, 1841 in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and died March 24, 1900 in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
Overview
He received a Doctor of PhilosophyDoctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree at the University of Munich, where he published an elaborate work on geology that was crowned by the university. In 1866 he became an instructor in palaeontology at the University of Munich and at the same time taught Princess Theresa and Prince Arnulf of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. Although an excellent teacher, and especially competent in practical work, Waagen, who was a most loyal Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, had little prospect of obtaining a professorship at the University of Munich. Consequently, in 1870, he accepted the offer of a position as assistant in the geological survey of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
In 1875, he returned permanently to Europe because of the severity of the Indian climate. In 1877 he became an instructor at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
in 1877 and lectured with great success on the geology of India. In 1879 Waagen went to the German Polytechnic of Prague as professor of geology and mineralogy; in 1890 he was professor of palaeontology at the University of Vienna; in 1886 he had declined a call to the school of mines at Berlin.
He was named councillor of the board of mines (Oberbergart) and in 1893 was made a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences
Academy of Sciences
An Academy of Sciences is a national academy or another learned society dedicated to sciences.In non-English speaking countries, the range of academic fields of the members of a national Academy of Science often includes fields which would not normally be classed as "science" in English...
.
Waagen's writings before his trip to India treat especially the German Jura and its fossils. He did work of permanent value in the geological investigation of India (the Salt Range) by the scientific presentation of rich palaeontological material. Wilhem Waagen did a pioneer work in the Salt Range. He established a refined lithostratigraphy of the Early Triassic series (Mianwali Formation) that still holds today. This allows to replace most of the ammonoids he described in their original stratigraphic position, an accomplishment rarely achieved by paleontologists in the late 19th Century. He first realized how important the Early Triassic ammonoid succession of the Salt Range was for the construction of the Triassic time scale.
In 1869, after an exhaustive study of ammonites, Waagen advocated the theory of evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
or mutation for certain series of fossils. As a young man he had taken an active part in the Catholic life of Munich, and two years before his death he wrote a treatise on the first chapter of Genesis that showed both the geologist and the Christian.