Friedrich August von Quenstedt
Encyclopedia
Friedrich August von Quenstedt (July 10, 1809–December 21, 1889), was a German
geologist
and palaeontologist.
in Saxony
, and educated at the Humboldt University of Berlin
. After a period as assistant in the mineralogical museum, he was appointed associate professor (1837) and then professor (1841) of mineralogy
and geognosy at the.
and mineralogy
, on which subjects he published text-books that were widely used. However, he also became distinguished for his researches on palaeontology, and especially for those on the fossil
s of the Jurassic
system.
In 1845, he devised a trinomial system of nomenclature for Jurassic ammonites, which has caused some difficulty for later taxonomists. He investigated series of ammonite fossils which appeared to represent the coiled and uncoiled forms of similar shells, and considered that they arose as 'pathological' forms. He also wrote several articles on pterodactyls.
Two genera were named in his honour: the bivalve mollusc genus Quenstedtia Morris & Lycett 1854 and the (homonymous) coelenterate genus Quenstedtia Rominger 1876.
The mineral quenstedtite
was named in his honour by G. Linck in 1888.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
and palaeontologist.
Life
Von Quenstedt was born at EislebenEisleben
Eisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as the hometown of Martin Luther, hence its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. As of 2005, Eisleben had a population of 24,552...
in Saxony
Province of Saxony
The Province of Saxony was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1945. Its capital was Magdeburg.-History:The province was created in 1816 out of the following territories:...
, and educated at the Humboldt University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
. After a period as assistant in the mineralogical museum, he was appointed associate professor (1837) and then professor (1841) of mineralogy
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
and geognosy at the.
Work
His earlier work related chiefly to crystallographyCrystallography
Crystallography is the experimental science of the arrangement of atoms in solids. The word "crystallography" derives from the Greek words crystallon = cold drop / frozen drop, with its meaning extending to all solids with some degree of transparency, and grapho = write.Before the development of...
and mineralogy
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
, on which subjects he published text-books that were widely used. However, he also became distinguished for his researches on palaeontology, and especially for those on the fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s of the Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
system.
In 1845, he devised a trinomial system of nomenclature for Jurassic ammonites, which has caused some difficulty for later taxonomists. He investigated series of ammonite fossils which appeared to represent the coiled and uncoiled forms of similar shells, and considered that they arose as 'pathological' forms. He also wrote several articles on pterodactyls.
Two genera were named in his honour: the bivalve mollusc genus Quenstedtia Morris & Lycett 1854 and the (homonymous) coelenterate genus Quenstedtia Rominger 1876.
The mineral quenstedtite
Quenstedtite
Quenstedtite is an uncommon iron sulfate mineral with formula Fe23·10H20. It forms violet or white triclinic crystals. It and has been found at a couple of localities in Chile. It was named by G. Linck in 1889 after the German mineralogist F. A. von Quenstedt.-References:***...
was named in his honour by G. Linck in 1888.
Chief publications
His chief publications were:- Method der Krystallographie (1840)
- Das Flözgebirge Wurttembergs (1843)
- Petrefactenkunde Deutschlands (7 vols. and atlases, 1846–84)
- Die Cephalopoden (1846–49)
- Handbuch der Petrefactenkunde (2 vols., 1852, 2nd ed. 1867, 3rd ed. 1882-85)
- Der Jura (2 vols, 1858)
- Handbuch der Mineralogie (1855, 3rd ed. 1877)
- Die Ammoniten des Schwäbischen Jura (1883–84).