Ocean History : Aristotle
384BC – 322BC – Aristotle Ἀριστοτέλης
Known as the Father of Marine Biology – His contributions to biology have remained unsurpassed for centuries.
What did he observe?
–He identified approximately 495 different species of animals.
–First to realize that whales and dolphins are mammals, like humans.
–Discovered that birds and reptiles are anatomically similar.
–First to detect that embryos have beating hearts.
–Explained animal migration and extinction.
–Recognized that humans are part of the animal kingdom
–He identified a variety of species including crustaceans, echinoderms, mollusks, and fish.
–He also recognized that cetaceans are mammals, and that marine vertebrates are either oviparous (producing eggs that hatch outside the body) or viviparous (producing eggs that hatch within the body).
