Philipp Jakob Cretzschmar

Philipp Jakob Cretzschmar
Born(1786-06-11)11 June 1786
Died4 May 1845(1845-05-04) (aged 58)
EducationUniversity of Würzburg
Known forDescribing about thirty new species, Atlas zu der Reise im nördlichen Afrika
Scientific career
FieldsPhysician, ornithologist, mammalogist
Institutions Senckenberg Natural History Society
Author abbrev. (zoology)Cretzschmar

Philipp Jakob Cretzschmar (11 June 1786 – 4 May 1845) was a German physician and natural scientist.

Cretzschmar was born at Sulzbach and studied medicine at the University of Würzburg. He taught anatomy and zoology at the Senckenberg Medical Institute of Frankfurt.[1]

Cretzschmar was the founder and second director of the Senckenberg Natural History Society in 1817.[1][2] One of the founding members of the society was Eduard Rüppell, and the two men collaborated in publishing the results of Rüppell's explorations in Africa. The Atlas zu der Reise im nördlichen Afrika ("Atlas of Rüppell's Travels in Northern Africa"; 1826–31) [3][4] included an ornithological section by Cretzschmar describing around thirty new species, including Meyer's parrot, Nubian bustard, Goliath heron, streaked scrub warbler and Cretzschmar's bunting. In the field of mammalogy, he is the binomial author of the scimitar-horned oryx and Soemmerring's gazelle.[5][6]

The "Cretzschmar-Medaille" is an award offered by the Senckenberg foundation for outstanding work in natural sciences.[2][1]

  1. ^ a b c translated biography NDB/ADB Deutsche Biographie
  2. ^ a b Senckenberg Gesselschaft fur Naturforschung Cretzschmar-Medaille
  3. ^ WorldCat Titles Atlas zu der Reise im nördlichen Afrika
  4. ^ Sherborn, Charles Davies (1922). Index animalium sive index nominum quae ab A.D. MDCCLVIII generibus et speciebus animalium imposita sunt. Part I. Introduction, bibliography and index A-Aff. London: Printed by order of the Trustees of the British Museum. p. 128.
  5. ^ ITIS Search Results Species described by Cretzschmar
  6. ^ Birdlife.org Streaked Scrub-warbler, Scotocerca inquieta