Alfred Grandidier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfred Grandidier
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| Born | 20 December 1836 Paris, France
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| Died | 13 September 1921 (aged 84) Paris, France
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| Known for | Studies of Madagascar, L'Histoire physique, naturelle et politique de Madagascar |
| Children | Guillaume Grandidier |
| Relatives | Ernest Grandidier (brother) |
| Awards | French Academy of Sciences, Founder's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Natural history |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Grandid. |
| Author abbrev. (zoology) | A. Grandidier |
Alfred Grandidier (born December 20, 1836 – died September 13, 1921) was a famous French naturalist and explorer. He spent many years studying the plants, animals, and geography of Madagascar.
Contents
A Journey Around the World
Alfred came from a very rich family. When he was 20, he and his brother, Ernest Grandidier, decided to travel around the world. They started their trip with a scientist named Pierre Jules César Janssen. However, Janssen got sick and had to go back to France. The Grandidier brothers continued their adventure without him.
Exploring South America
In 1858 and 1859, Alfred and Ernest visited South America. They explored the Andes mountains and countries like Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil. During this trip, they collected many interesting plant and animal samples. Ernest later studied all these collections in 1860.
After this journey, the brothers went their separate ways. Ernest traveled to China and gathered a huge collection of items. These items can now be seen in famous museums like the Louvre in Paris.
Alfred's Adventures in Asia and Africa
Alfred Grandidier traveled to India in 1863. He had planned to explore the high lands of Tibet. But he became very ill with a fever, so he could not go there.
Discovering Madagascar
To get better, Grandidier went to Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Africa. He stayed there for a while, collecting more specimens and writing about his discoveries. Then, he visited the island of Réunion.
In 1865, Alfred Grandidier made his first visit to Madagascar. He loved the island so much that he decided to dedicate his life to studying it. He went back to Madagascar in 1866 and again in 1868.
He finally returned to France for good in 1870. During his time in Madagascar, he crossed the island three times. He traveled about 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles) inland and 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) along the coast. His detailed observations helped create the first accurate maps of the island. These maps were used by future explorers.
His Great Work: The History of Madagascar
After returning to France, Alfred Grandidier began working on his most important project. It was a huge book series called L'Histoire physique, naturelle et politique de Madagascar. This means "The Physical, Natural, and Political History of Madagascar." He worked with other scientists, like Alphonse Milne-Edwards.
This massive work ended up being 40 volumes long! His son, Guillaume Grandidier, finished publishing the last parts after Alfred passed away. In these books, Alfred described about 50 new types of reptiles and amphibians.
Alfred Grandidier's amazing work on Madagascar caught the attention of the French government. Because of his detailed studies, France decided to take control of Madagascar in the late 1890s.
Awards and Recognition
Alfred Grandidier was a highly respected scientist.
- In 1885, he was chosen to be a member of the French Academy of Sciences. This is a very important group of scientists in France.
- He was also the president of the French Geographical Society from 1901 to 1905.
- In 1906, the Royal Geographical Society in London gave him their special Founder's Medal. This award recognized his incredible explorations and discoveries.
Honours
Many things were named after Alfred Grandidier to honor his contributions:
- Two types of reptiles: a lizard called Oplurus grandidieri and a snake called Xenotyphlops grandidieri.
- A rare blue-green mineral found in Madagascar, called grandidierite.
- The giant Grandidier baobab tree, which is famous for its huge trunk.
- A flowering shrub from Africa, Grandidiera boivinii.
- The plant genus Didierea, which includes several unique plants from Madagascar.
See also
In Spanish: Alfred Grandidier para niños
- Category:Taxa named by Alfred Grandidier
