Georges Cuvier

Revolutionized paleontology and established extinction as a scientific fact

Georges Cuvier (1769–1832), the French naturalist and zoologist, fundamentally transformed biological sciences through his groundbreaking work in comparative anatomy and paleontology. By meticulously analyzing fossil records and living species, Cuvier became the first scientist to demonstrate that extinction was a historical reality – challenging the prevailing belief in species immutability.

His ‘Theory of Catastrophism’, detailed in Discours sur les révolutions de la surface du globe (1825), proposed that Earth experienced sudden geological upheavals that wiped out entire species. This work laid foundational concepts for modern evolutionary biology and inspired Charles Darwin's later theories.

Cuvier's pioneering classification system for animals, outlined in Le Règne Animal (1817), divided organisms into four distinct branches (vertebrates, mollusks, articulates, and radiates). This system became a cornerstone of biological taxonomy and influenced generations of scientists.

Through detailed comparisons of anatomical structures, Cuvier successfully reconstructed entire prehistoric animals from fragmentary fossils – a revolutionary approach documented in his mastodon studies. His work provided critical evidence supporting deep time concepts in geology and biology.