Addison Emery Verrill
Encyclopedia
Addison Emery Verrill was an American
zoologist. He was a student of Louis Agassiz
at Harvard University
and graduated in 1862. He then accepted a position as Yale University
's first Professor of Zoology, and taught there from 1864 until his retirement in 1907.
Between 1868–70 he was professor
of comparative anatomy
and entomology
in the University of Wisconsin. From 1860 Verrill investigated the invertebrate
fauna
of the Atlantic
coast, with special reference to the coral
s, annelid
s, echinoderm
s, and mollusk
s, and became the chief authority on the living cephalopod
s, especially the colossal squid
s of the North Atlantic.
His Report upon the Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound
(1874), with S. I. Smith
, is a standard manual of the marine zoology of southern New England
. His collections were deposited in the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University.
In later life he explored with his students the geology
and marine animals of the Bermuda Islands
. Besides many memoir
s and articles on the subjects mentioned above, he published The Bermuda Islands (1903; second edition, 1907).
Verrill published more than 350 papers and monographs, and described more than 1,000 species of animals in virtually every major taxonomy group.
In 1959, Yale's Peabody Museum established the Addison Emory Verrill Medal, awarded for achievement in the natural sciences.
His son, Alpheus Hyatt Verrill
, known as Hyatt Verrill, (1871–1954) was an American archaeologist, explorer, inventor, illustrator and author.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
zoologist. He was a student of Louis Agassiz
Louis Agassiz
Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz was a Swiss paleontologist, glaciologist, geologist and a prominent innovator in the study of the Earth's natural history. He grew up in Switzerland and became a professor of natural history at University of Neuchâtel...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and graduated in 1862. He then accepted a position as Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
's first Professor of Zoology, and taught there from 1864 until his retirement in 1907.
Between 1868–70 he was professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of organisms. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny .-Description:...
and entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
in the University of Wisconsin. From 1860 Verrill investigated the invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast, with special reference to the coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
s, annelid
Annelid
The annelids , formally called Annelida , are a large phylum of segmented worms, with over 17,000 modern species including ragworms, earthworms and leeches...
s, echinoderm
Echinoderm
Echinoderms are a phylum of marine animals. Echinoderms are found at every ocean depth, from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone....
s, and mollusk
Mollusca
The Mollusca , common name molluscs or mollusksSpelled mollusks in the USA, see reasons given in Rosenberg's ; for the spelling mollusc see the reasons given by , is a large phylum of invertebrate animals. There are around 85,000 recognized extant species of molluscs. Mollusca is the largest...
s, and became the chief authority on the living cephalopod
Cephalopod
A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda . These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a set of arms or tentacles modified from the primitive molluscan foot...
s, especially the colossal squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
s of the North Atlantic.
His Report upon the Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound
Vineyard Sound
Vineyard Sound is the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean which separates the Elizabeth Islands and the southwestern part of Cape Cod from the island of Martha's Vineyard, offshore from the state of Massachusetts in the USA...
(1874), with S. I. Smith
Sidney Irving Smith
Sidney Irving Smith was an American zoologist.-Private life:Sidney Smith was the son of Elliot Smith and Lavinia Barton. His brother in law was Addison Emery Verrill. Smith married Eugenia Pocahontas Barber in New Haven, Connecticut on June 29, 1882...
, is a standard manual of the marine zoology of southern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. His collections were deposited in the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University.
In later life he explored with his students the 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...
and marine animals of the Bermuda Islands
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. Besides many memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
s and articles on the subjects mentioned above, he published The Bermuda Islands (1903; second edition, 1907).
Verrill published more than 350 papers and monographs, and described more than 1,000 species of animals in virtually every major taxonomy group.
In 1959, Yale's Peabody Museum established the Addison Emory Verrill Medal, awarded for achievement in the natural sciences.
His son, Alpheus Hyatt Verrill
Alpheus Hyatt Verrill
Alpheus Hyatt Verrill, known as Hyatt Verrill, was an American archaeologist, explorer, inventor, illustrator and author. He was the son of Addison Emery Verrill , the first professor of zoology at Yale University.Hyatt Verrill wrote on a wide variety of topics, including natural history, travel,...
, known as Hyatt Verrill, (1871–1954) was an American archaeologist, explorer, inventor, illustrator and author.