Carl Constantin Platen
Encyclopedia
Carl Constantin Platen was a German
physician
and zoological
collector of birds and butterflies.
After his medical profession in Amoy
in the Chinese Empire Carl Constantin Platen worked as a zoological collector. Between 1878 and 1894 with his wife Margarete he undertook extensive journeys, which led him in 1878 to south Celebes
, in 1880 to Borneo
, in 1881 Seram
, in late 1881 and 1882 to Ambon
, 1884/1885 to Celebes
, 1887 to the Sulu
islands and after to Palawan
, 1889 to Mindanao
and 1892/1894 to Mindoro
. The yield, which consisted of 728 specimens of 141 bird taxa, gathered on these expeditions was acquired mostly by Platens friend Wilhelm Blasius
for the natural history
museum in Braunschweig
. A further part was sold to the natural history dealer Wilhelm Schlüter
in Saale
. Platen was nearly blind and deaf, when he returned to Germany in 1894 where he lived in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania until his death in 1899.
, Danaus plateni, Prothoe plateni and Troides plateni
.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and zoological
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
collector of birds and butterflies.
After his medical profession in Amoy
Amoy
Xiamen, or Amoy, is a city on the southeast coast of China.Amoy may also refer to:*Amoy dialect, a dialect of the Hokkien lects, which are part of the Southern Min group of Chinese languages...
in the Chinese Empire Carl Constantin Platen worked as a zoological collector. Between 1878 and 1894 with his wife Margarete he undertook extensive journeys, which led him in 1878 to south Celebes
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
, in 1880 to Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, in 1881 Seram
Seram
Seram is an island in the Maluku province of Indonesia. It is located north of Ambon Island. The chief port/town is Masohi.- Geography and geology :...
, in late 1881 and 1882 to Ambon
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of , and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of 2 territories: The main city and seaport is Ambon , which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah Ambon Island is part of the...
, 1884/1885 to Celebes
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
, 1887 to the Sulu
Sulu Archipelago
The Sulu Archipelago is a chain of islands in the southwestern Philippines. This archipelago is considered to be part of the Moroland by the local rebel independence movement. This island group forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea....
islands and after to Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
, 1889 to Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
and 1892/1894 to Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
. The yield, which consisted of 728 specimens of 141 bird taxa, gathered on these expeditions was acquired mostly by Platens friend Wilhelm Blasius
August Wilhelm Heinrich Blasius
August Wilhelm Heinrich Blasius was a German ornithologist.Blasius belonged to a family of scientists: his father was the ornithologist Johann Heinrich Blasius and his brother was the ornithologist Rudolf Heinrich Paul Blasius .In 1870 he became the director of the Museum of Brunswick, and in the...
for the natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
museum in Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
. A further part was sold to the natural history dealer Wilhelm Schlüter
Wilhelm Schlüter
Wilhelm Schlüter was a German natural history dealer.Wilhelm Schlüter was the proprietor of "das Naturwissenschaftliche Institut - Naturalien und Lehrmittelhandlung" in Hallean der Saale. He sold many important bird and insect collections to museums and private collections. He also supplied...
in Saale
Saale
The Saale, also known as the Saxon Saale and Thuringian Saale , is a river in Germany and a left-bank tributary of the Elbe. It is not to be confused with the smaller Franconian Saale, a right-bank tributary of the Main, or the Saale in Lower Saxony, a tributary of the Leine.-Course:The Saale...
. Platen was nearly blind and deaf, when he returned to Germany in 1894 where he lived in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania until his death in 1899.
Legacy
Bird taxa named in Platen's honour include Aramidopsis plateni, Gallicolumba platenae, Sterrhoptilus plateni, Prioniturus platenae, Ficedula platenae and Thapsinillas longirostris platenae. Butterflies named for him are Euploea platenae, Amathuxidia plateni, Amblypodia plateni, Charaxes platenae, Chionaema plateni, Choaspes plateniChoaspes plateni
Choaspes plateni, commonly known as the Branded Awlking, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae which is found in Asia.-Range:...
, Danaus plateni, Prothoe plateni and Troides plateni
Troides plateni
Dr. Platens Birdwing is a birdwing butterfly endemic to Palawan, Balabac, Dumaran, and the Calamian Islands in the Philippines. It is named for Dr. Carl Constantin Platen.-Habitat and conservation:...
.