Clinton Hart Merriam
Encyclopedia
Clinton Hart Merriam was an American
zoologist, ornithologist, entomologist and ethnographer.
Known as "Hart" to his friends, Dr. Clinton Hart Merriam was born in New York City
in 1855. His father, Clinton Levi Merriam, was a U.S. congressman. He studied biology and anatomy at Yale University
and went on to obtain an M.D.
from the School of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University
in 1879 and taught at Harvard University for a period of time. His sister Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey
was a pioneering ornithologist who introduced the idea of popular field guides for bird identification. Florence Merriam
married Vernon Bailey
a field naturalist a long-time collecting partner of C. Hart Merriam's. He died in Berkeley
, California
in 1942.
, predecessor to the National Wildlife Research Center and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
. He was one of the original founders of the National Geographic Society
in 1888. He developed the concept of "life zone
s" to classify biome
s found in North America
along an altitudinal sequence corresponding to the zonal latitudinal sequence from Equator to Pole. In mammalogy
, he is known as an excessive splitter
, proposing, for example, tens of different species of North American brown bear
s in several genera
.
In 1899, he helped railroad magnate E. H. Harriman
to organize an exploratory voyage
along the Alaska
coastline.
Some species of animals that bear his name are Merriam's Wild Turkey Meliagris gallopavo meriami, the now extinct Merriam's Elk Cervus elaphus merriami, and Merriam's Chipmunk Tamias merriami. Much of his detail-oriented taxonomy continues to be influential within mammalogical and ornithological circles.
tribes in the western United States. His contributions on the myths of central California and on ethnogeography were particularly noteworthy.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
zoologist, ornithologist, entomologist and ethnographer.
Known as "Hart" to his friends, Dr. Clinton Hart Merriam was born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1855. His father, Clinton Levi Merriam, was a U.S. congressman. He studied biology and anatomy at 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...
and went on to obtain an M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from the School of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1879 and taught at Harvard University for a period of time. His sister Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey
Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey
Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey was an American ornithologist and nature writer. She was born in Locust Grove, New York. The third child in her family, she was the younger sister of Clinton Hart Merriam.-Life and work:...
was a pioneering ornithologist who introduced the idea of popular field guides for bird identification. Florence Merriam
Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey
Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey was an American ornithologist and nature writer. She was born in Locust Grove, New York. The third child in her family, she was the younger sister of Clinton Hart Merriam.-Life and work:...
married Vernon Bailey
Vernon Orlando Bailey
Vernon Orlando Bailey was an American naturalist who specialist in mammalogy. He was employed by the Bureau of Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture . His contributions to the Bureau of Biological Survey numbered roughly 13,000 specimens including many new species...
a field naturalist a long-time collecting partner of C. Hart Merriam's. He died in Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1942.
Zoology
In 1886, he became the first chief of the Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy of the United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
, predecessor to the National Wildlife Research Center and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
. He was one of the original founders of the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
in 1888. He developed the concept of "life zone
Life zone
The Life Zone concept was developed by C. Hart Merriam in 1889 as a means of describing areas with similar plant and animal communities. Merriam observed that the changes in these communities with an increase in latitude at a constant elevation are similar to the changes seen with an increase in...
s" to classify biome
Biome
Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. Some parts of the earth have more or less the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors spread over a...
s found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
along an altitudinal sequence corresponding to the zonal latitudinal sequence from Equator to Pole. In mammalogy
Mammalogy
In zoology, mammalogy is the study of mammals – a class of vertebrates with characteristics such as homeothermic metabolism, fur, four-chambered hearts, and complex nervous systems...
, he is known as an excessive splitter
Lumpers and splitters
Lumping and splitting refers to a well-known problem in any discipline which has to place individual examples into rigorously defined categories. The lumper/splitter problem occurs when there is the need to create classifications and assign examples to them, for example schools of literature,...
, proposing, for example, tens of different species of North American brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
s in several genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
.
In 1899, he helped railroad magnate E. H. Harriman
E. H. Harriman
Edward Henry Harriman was an American railroad executive.-Early years:Harriman was born in Hempstead, New York, the son of Orlando Harriman, an Episcopal clergyman, and Cornelia Neilson...
to organize an exploratory voyage
Harriman Alaska Expedition
In 1899, wealthy railroad magnate Edward Harriman arranged for a maritime expedition to Alaska. Harriman brought with him an elite community of scientists, artists, photographers, and naturalists to explore and document the Alaskan coast...
along the Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
coastline.
Some species of animals that bear his name are Merriam's Wild Turkey Meliagris gallopavo meriami, the now extinct Merriam's Elk Cervus elaphus merriami, and Merriam's Chipmunk Tamias merriami. Much of his detail-oriented taxonomy continues to be influential within mammalogical and ornithological circles.
Native Americans
Later in life, funded by the Harriman family, Merriam's focus shifted to studying and assisting the Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes in the western United States. His contributions on the myths of central California and on ethnogeography were particularly noteworthy.
External links
- C. Hart Merriam, Dawn of the World: Myths and Weird Tales Told by the Mewan Indians of California (1910)
- C. Hart Merriam, “Indian Village and Camp Sites in Yosemite Valley,” Sierra Club Bulletin (1917)
- USDA Merriam National Wildlife Research Center
- BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR OF CLINTON HART MERRIAM
- C. Hart Merriam Collection of Native American Photographs, ca. 1890-1938 at The Bancroft Library
- Guide to the C. Hart Merriam Papers, Volume 1 and Volume 2 at The Bancroft Library
- C. Hart Merriam Collection at Princeton University