Émil Goeldi
Encyclopedia
Émil August Goeldi (August 28, 1859 – July 5, 1917 in Bern), was a Swiss
-Brazil
ian naturalist
and zoologist.
Goeldi studied zoology in Jena
, Germany
with Ernst Haeckel
, and in 1884 he was invited by Ladislau de Souza Mello Netto
, the influential director of the Brazilian "Museu Imperial e Nacional," to work at that institution. Goeldi arrived in Rio de Janeiro
in 1885 to work in the National Museum (now the Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro
. In May of 1890, he was fired, due to political circumstances related to the proclamation of the Republic
and the exile of his principal benefactor, Emperor D. Pedro II
.
He was then invited by the governor of the state of Pará
, Lauro Sodré, to reorganize the Pará Museum of Natural History and Ethnography, in Belém
, which had been founded in 1866 by Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna
. He arrived on 9 June 1894 in Belém. In his pioneering work, Goeldi was helped by several other foreign researchers, such as the Swiss botanist Jacques Huber
(1867-1914), zoologist Emilie Snethlage (1868-1929), geologists Friedrich Katzer (1861-1925), and Alexander Karl von Kraatz-Koschlau (1867-1900), and Adolpho Ducke
(1876-1959), entomologist, ethnographer and botanist.
In 1902, the "Museu Paraense de História Natural e Ethnography" was renamed in his honor. It is now called the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi
.
In 1905 Émil Goeldi renounced his post, due to ill health, and returned to Switzerland
where he died in Bern, in 1917, at the age of only 58. Hüber, then Snethlage and Ducke succeeded him as general directors of the Goeldi Museum
in Belém.
Goeldi was primarily a zoologist and described many new Brazilian species of birds and mammals. Some of the species which bear his name are:
Several other species were named in honour of Émil Goeldi, such as:
But Goeldi was also recognized as an important early figure in public health
and epidemiology
in Brazil, because he studied the mechanism of transmission of yellow fever
and advocated the importance of fighting the mosquito
as the vector of the disease, several years before Oswaldo Cruz
did so.
Goeldi's extensive scientific research on the geography
, geology
, flora, fauna, archeology, ethnography
and socio-economical conditions of the present day region of Amapá
was very important to end the Contestado territorial litigation between France
and Brazil
, ceding the territory to Brazil on December 1, 1900, by the international decision of the court of Bern.
Émil Goeldi was the father of Oswaldo Goeldi
, a noted Brazilian engraver and illustrator
.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
-Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian 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...
and zoologist.
Goeldi studied zoology in Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
, 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...
with Ernst Haeckel
Ernst Haeckel
The "European War" became known as "The Great War", and it was not until 1920, in the book "The First World War 1914-1918" by Charles à Court Repington, that the term "First World War" was used as the official name for the conflict.-Research:...
, and in 1884 he was invited by Ladislau de Souza Mello Netto
Ladislau de Souza Mello Netto
Ladislau de Souza Mello Netto was a Brazilian botanist and director of the Brazilian National Museum in Rio de Janeiro.Ladislau Netto was appointed museum director in 1870, as a substitute, and 1876, as full director, by the Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro II, who strove to make the museum a showcase...
, the influential director of the Brazilian "Museu Imperial e Nacional," to work at that institution. Goeldi arrived in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
in 1885 to work in the National Museum (now the Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro
Museu Nacional (Brazil)
The National Museum of Brazil is a centenarian museum and research institution, located in the Quinta da Boa Vista park in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.-History:...
. In May of 1890, he was fired, due to political circumstances related to the proclamation of the Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
and the exile of his principal benefactor, Emperor D. Pedro II
Pedro II of Brazil
Dom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of...
.
He was then invited by the governor of the state of Pará
Pará
Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
, Lauro Sodré, to reorganize the Pará Museum of Natural History and Ethnography, in Belém
Belém
Belém is a Brazilian city, the capital and largest city of state of Pará, in the country's north region. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station...
, which had been founded in 1866 by Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna
Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna
Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna was a Brazilian naturalist from the state of Minas Gerais, who founded the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, in Belém, and undertook important research in the archeology and natural resources of the lower Amazon River valley.In 1870, he discovered one of the most...
. He arrived on 9 June 1894 in Belém. In his pioneering work, Goeldi was helped by several other foreign researchers, such as the Swiss botanist Jacques Huber
Jacques Huber
Jacques Huber was a Swiss-Brazilian botanist who did pioneering work on the flora of the Amazon from 1895 until his death. He created and organized the herbarium and arboretum in Belém, Brazil, and was director of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi from 1907 until he died.-References:...
(1867-1914), zoologist Emilie Snethlage (1868-1929), geologists Friedrich Katzer (1861-1925), and Alexander Karl von Kraatz-Koschlau (1867-1900), and Adolpho Ducke
Adolpho Ducke
Adolpho Ducke , also referred to as Adolfo Ducke and occasionally mis-spelled "Duque", was a notable entomologist, botanist and ethnographer of Amazonia....
(1876-1959), entomologist, ethnographer and botanist.
In 1902, the "Museu Paraense de História Natural e Ethnography" was renamed in his honor. It is now called the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi
Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi
The Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi is a Brazilian research institution and museum located in the city of Belém, state of Pará. It was founded in 1866 by Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna as the Pará Museum of Natural History and Ethnography, and was later named in honor of Swiss naturalist Émil August...
.
In 1905 Émil Goeldi renounced his post, due to ill health, and returned to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
where he died in Bern, in 1917, at the age of only 58. Hüber, then Snethlage and Ducke succeeded him as general directors of the Goeldi Museum
Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi
The Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi is a Brazilian research institution and museum located in the city of Belém, state of Pará. It was founded in 1866 by Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna as the Pará Museum of Natural History and Ethnography, and was later named in honor of Swiss naturalist Émil August...
in Belém.
Goeldi was primarily a zoologist and described many new Brazilian species of birds and mammals. Some of the species which bear his name are:
- Goeldi's AntbirdAntbirdThe antbirds are a large family, Thamnophilidae, of passerine birds found across subtropical and tropical Central and South America, from Mexico to Argentina. There are more than 200 species, known variously as antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, fire-eyes, bare-eyes and bushbirds...
- Myrmeciza goeldii - Goeldi's MarmosetGoeldi's MarmosetGoeldi's marmoset or Goeldi's monkey is a small, South American New World monkey that lives in the upper Amazon Basin region of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru...
- Callimico goeldii - Goeldi's Frog - Flectonotus goeldii
Several other species were named in honour of Émil Goeldi, such as:
- AcropygaAcropygaAcropyga is a genus of small formicine ants.Some species can be indirect pests. A. acutiventris, which is found from India to Australia, tends subterranean, root-feeding mealybugs of the species Xenococcus annandalei. Living, gravid females are carried in the jaws of A...
goeldii, Camponotus goeldii, AztecaAztecaAzteca may refer to:* Azteca , a Latin based rock band from the San Francisco Bay Area, United States* Azteca , a breed of horse* Azteca , a genus of ants* Azteca Records , a record label...
goeldii, PachycondylaPachycondylaPachycondyla is a diverse group of ponerine ants that are widespread in the world's tropics and subtropics. Most are general predators or scavengers, with some specializing in hunting termites. In some species queens are replaced by fertilised workers...
goeldii, CrematogasterCrematogasterCrematogaster is an ecologically diverse genus of ants found worldwide, which are characterised by a distinctive heart-shaped gaster , which gives one of their common names, Valentine Ant. It is the only genus of the tribus Crematogastrini. Most of species are arboreal...
torosa goeldii, MycocepurusMycocepurusMycocepurus is a genus of ants. One of its species, Mycocepurus smithii, which lives in South America, reproduces by cloning – all ants in a colony are clones of the queen.Contains the following species:...
goeldii, ProcryptocerusProcryptocerusProcryptocerus is a genus of gliding ants, with the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on.-Species:* Procryptocerus adlerzi * Procryptocerus attenuatus...
goeldii, Acanthoponera goeldii, BrachymyrmexBrachymyrmexBrachymyrmex is a genus in the ant subfamily Formicinae. These ants are native to Northern Africa but several species have spread around the world with human commerce. The genus can be recognized by the combination of having nine antennal segments and the petiole concealed by the gaster in dorsal...
goeldii, DorymyrmexDorymyrmexDorymyrmex is a genus of Dolichoderinae known as the cone ant. Sometimes referred to as the "odorous ant" because of a distinct smell many have, which resembles the scent of blue cheese....
goeldii dubius, ParatrechinaParatrechinaParatrechina is an ant genus from the subfamily Formicinae .There are over 150 described species and subspecies, some of which occur on every continent...
goeldii, MegalomyrmexMegalomyrmexMegalomyrmex is a genus of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is close to Monomorium and should possibly be included in the latter.-Species:-References:...
goeldii, Myrmelachista goeldii, Neivamyrmex goeldii, Solenopsis goeldii, PheidolePheidolePheidole is a genus of ant that belongs to the ant subfamily Myrmicinae.-The Genus:The genus Pheidole is widespread and ecologically dominant...
goeldii and CephalotesCephalotesCephalotes is a Neotropical genus of ant species, all sharing the same odd head style, which tend to be mainly arboreal, and all appear to be gliding ants, with the ability to "parachute" and steer their fall so as to land back on the tree trunk rather than fall to the ground, which is often...
goeldii, all species of South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n antAntAnts are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s described by Forel; - ProtambulyxProtambulyxProtambulyx is a genus of moths in the Sphingidae family.-Species:*Protambulyx astygonus - *Protambulyx carteri - Rothschild & Jordan 1903*Protambulyx euryalus - Rothschild & Jordan 1903...
goeldii, a mothMothA moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
; - Dubioniscus goeldii, a garden pillbug (isopod);
- Rio Big-Tooth Frog, Megalelosia goeldii, a frogFrogFrogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
- TrichomycterusTrichomycterusTrichomycterus is a genus of catfishes, the largest genus in the family Trichomycteridae with over 100 species currently described.-Taxonomy:This genus is defined by the lack of specializations found in other trichomycterids and is certainly polyphyletic...
goeldii, a pencil catfishCatfishCatfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
; - CynopotamusCynopotamusCynopotamus is a species of characins from South America. There are currently 12 described species in this genus.-Species:* Cynopotamus amazonum * Cynopotamus argenteus...
goeldii, a CharacidaeCharacidaeThe Characidae, characids or characins are a family of freshwater subtropical and tropical fish, belonging to the order Characiformes. The name "characins" is the historical one, but scientists today tend to prefer "characids" to reflect their status as a by and large monophyletic group at family...
fishFishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
; - Goeldi's Pimelodid, Duopalatinus goeldii, a PimelodidaePimelodidaePimelodidae, commonly known as the long-whiskered catfishes, is a family of catfishes .-Taxonomy:Pimelodidae has undergone much revision. Currently, the family contains about 30 genera and about 90 recognized and known but unnamed species...
freshwater fish; - Goeldi's Hemiodus, Hemiodopsis goeldii, another fish.
- CheirocerusCheirocerusCheirocerus is a genus of catfishes of the family Pimelodidae. It includes three species, C. abuelo, C. eques, and C. goeldii.-Distribution and habitat:...
goeldii, also a catfish; - SimuliumSimuliumSimulium is a genus of black flies, which may transmit diseases such as onchocerciasis . It is a large genus with several hundred species, and 41 sub-genera....
goeldii, a blackflyFlyTrue flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
from the Amazon RainforestAmazon RainforestThe Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
; - Philodendron goeldii, a philodendronPhilodendronPhilodendron is a large genus of flowering plants in the Araceae family, consisting of close to 900 or more species according to TROPICOS . Other sources quote different numbers of species. According to S.J. Mayo there are about 350-400 formally recognized species whereas according to Croat there...
plant.
But Goeldi was also recognized as an important early figure in public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
and epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
in Brazil, because he studied the mechanism of transmission of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
and advocated the importance of fighting the mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
as the vector of the disease, several years before Oswaldo Cruz
Oswaldo Cruz
Oswaldo Gonçalves Cruz, better known as Oswaldo Cruz |São Paulo]] state, Brazil – February 11, 1917, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro state) was a Brazilian physician, bacteriologist, epidemiologist and public health officer and the founder of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute.He also occupied the 5th chair of...
did so.
Goeldi's extensive scientific research on the geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, geology
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...
, flora, fauna, archeology, ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
and socio-economical conditions of the present day region of Amapá
Amapá
Amapá is one of the states of Brazil, located in the extreme north, bordering French Guiana and Suriname to the north. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south and west is the Brazilian state of Pará. Perhaps one of the main features of the state is the River Oiapoque, as it was once...
was very important to end the Contestado territorial litigation between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, ceding the territory to Brazil on December 1, 1900, by the international decision of the court of Bern.
Émil Goeldi was the father of Oswaldo Goeldi
Oswaldo Goeldi
Oswaldo Goeldi was a Brazilian artist and renowned engraver, the son of Swiss naturalist Émil Goeldi....
, a noted Brazilian engraver and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
.
Publications by Goeldi
- Goeldi, E. A. (1886). Bericht über zwei ältere, unbekannt gebliebene illustrierte Manuskripte portugiesisch-brasilianischer Naturforscher. I. Die zoologischen Zeichnungen von Alexander Rodriguez Ferreira. II. Die zoologischen Zeichnungen von Arruda da Camara. Zoologische Jahrbücher, Jena, 2, 175-184
- Goeldi, E. A. (1892). Zur Orientierung in der Spinnenfauna Brasiliens. Mitteilungen aus dem Osterlande (Neue Folge), 5, 200-248
- Goeldi, E. A. (1897). A lenda amazônica do "cauré". Bol. Mus. Paraense, 2, 430-441
- Goeldi, E. A. (1897). On the nesting of Cassicus persicus, Cassidrix oryzivora, Gymnomystax melanicterus and Todirostrum maculatum. Ibis, 7(3), 361-370
- Goeldi, E. A. (1898 (1897)). A lenda amazônica do "cauré". Bol. Mus. Paraense, 2, 430-441
- Goeldi, E. A. (1900). Sobre a nidificação do Cassicus persicus (japim), do Cassidix oryzivora (graúna), do Gymnomystax melanicterus (aritauá) e do Todirostrum maculatum (ferreirinho). Bol. Mus. Para. Hist. Nat. Ethnogr., (Mus. Para.), 3, 203-210
- Goeldi, E. A. (1904). Against the destruction of white herons and red ibises on the lower Amazon, especially on the Island of Marajó(2 ed.). Belém: Pará
- Geoldi, E. A. (1905). Myrmecologische Mitteilung das Wachsen des Pilzgartens von Atta cephalotes betreffend. Paper presented at the C.r. 6th Congr. Int. Zool., Berne
- Goeldi, E. A. (1905). Beobachtungen über die erste Anlage einer neuen Kolonie von Atta cephalotes. Paper presented at the C.r. 6th Congr. Int. Zool., Berne
- Goeldi, E. A. (1905). Os mosquitos do Pará. Reunião de quatro trabalhos sobre os mosquitos indígenas, principalmente as espécies que molestam o homem. Mem. Museu E. Goeldi, 4, 1-152
- Goeldi, E. A. (1908 (1909)). Microtrogon novo nome genérico proposto para Trogon ramonianus Des Murs. Bol. Mus. Para. Hist. Nat. Ethnogr., (Mus. Pará), 5(1), 92-95
- Goeldi, E. A. (1911). Der Ameisenstaat, seine Entstehung und seine Einrichtung, die Organisation der Arbeit und die Naturwunder seines Haushaltes. Leipzig & Berlin: Teubner
External links
- "Göldi, Émil August" (in Portuguese). (Site homepage: "Dicionário Histórico-Biográfico das Ciências da Saúde no Brasil (1832-1930). Casa de Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz" at: http://www.dichistoriasaude.coc.fiocruz.br).
- Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi.