Johann Friedrich Blumenbach
Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (11 May 1752 – 22 January 1840) was a German physician, naturalist, physiologist, and anthropologist. He is considered to be a main founder of zoology and anthropology as comparative, scientific disciplines. He has been called the "founder of racial classifications."
Johann Friedrich Blumenbach | |
|---|---|
Johann Friedrich Blumenbach | |
| Born | 11 May 1752 |
| Died | 22 January 1840 (aged 87) |
| Alma mater | University of Jena University of Göttingen |
| Known for | Comparative anatomy; scientific racism |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physiology |
| Institutions | Göttingen |
| Doctoral advisor | Christian Wilhelm Büttner |
| Other academic advisors | Ernst Gottfried Baldinger Christian Gottlob Heyne |
| Doctoral students | Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link Friedrich Stromeyer Karl Theodor Ernst von Siebold |
| Author abbrev. (zoology) | Blumenbach |
He was one of the first to explore the study of the human being as an aspect of natural history. His teachings in comparative anatomy were applied to his classification of human races, of which he claimed there were five, Caucasian, Mongolian, Malayan, Ethiopian, and American. He was a member of what modern historians call the Göttingen school of history.
He is considered a pivotal figure in the development of physical anthropology. Blumenbach's peers considered him one of the great theorists of his day, and he was a mentor or influence on many of the next generation of German biologists, including Alexander von Humboldt.