Animalia Paradoxa

Animalia Paradoxa^[1] (Latin for "contradictory animals"; cf. paradox) are the mythical, magical or otherwise suspect animals mentioned in the first five editions of Carl Linnaeus's seminal work Systema Naturae under the header "Paradoxa". It lists fantastic creatures found in medieval bestiaries and some animals reported by explorers from abroad and explains why they are excluded from Systema Naturae. According to Swedish historian Gunnar Broberg, it was to offer a natural explanation and demystify the world of superstition.^[2] Paradoxa was dropped from Linnaeus' classification system as of the 6th edition (1748).^[3]

^ von Linné, C. (1744). Caroli Linnæi medic. & botan. in acad. Upsaliensi professoris ... Systema naturæ: In quo proponuntur naturæ regna tria secundum classes, ordines, genera & species. Sumptibus Michaelis-Antonii David. p. 102. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
^ Tore Frängsmyr; Sten Lindroth; Gunnar Eriksson; Gunnar Broberg (1983). Linnaeus, the man and his work. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. pp. 176–177. ISBN 0-7112-1841-2.
^ Sandra Knapp (2002). "Fact and fantasy". Nature. 415 (6871): 479. Bibcode:2002Natur.415..479K. doi:10.1038/415479a. PMID 11823837. S2CID 44480097. Also available on Scribd Archived 2012-11-04 at the Wayback Machine. Linnaeus remarked in edition 6 (as translated) as at this link: "I have come to these conclusions by personally leading my pupils on wanderings through the tangled web of nature, in order that I can spur others on to an examination and explanation of nature rather than the reiteration of perceived ideas ... I shall take exception to the tales of actors and the barkings of dogs with equal measure.".

[sn4-1] von Linné, C. (1744). Caroli Linnæi medic. & botan. in acad. Upsaliensi professoris ... Systema naturæ: In quo proponuntur naturæ regna tria secundum classes, ordines, genera & species. Sumptibus Michaelis-Antonii David. p. 102. Retrieved 2015-04-05.

[2] Tore Frängsmyr; Sten Lindroth; Gunnar Eriksson; Gunnar Broberg (1983). Linnaeus, the man and his work. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. pp. 176–177. ISBN 0-7112-1841-2.

[3] Sandra Knapp (2002). "Fact and fantasy". Nature. 415 (6871): 479. Bibcode:2002Natur.415..479K. doi:10.1038/415479a. PMID 11823837. S2CID 44480097. Also available on Scribd Archived 2012-11-04 at the Wayback Machine. Linnaeus remarked in edition 6 (as translated) as at this link: "I have come to these conclusions by personally leading my pupils on wanderings through the tangled web of nature, in order that I can spur others on to an examination and explanation of nature rather than the reiteration of perceived ideas ... I shall take exception to the tales of actors and the barkings of dogs with equal measure.".

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