Constantin von Ettingshausen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Constantin von Ettingshausen
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| Born | 16 June 1826 Vienna, Austria
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| Died | 1 February 1897 (aged 70) Graz, Austria
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| Education | University of Vienna |
| Known for | Tertiary floras of Europe, and fossil floras of Australia and New Zealand |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany, palaeobotany |
| Institutions | University of Graz; Natural History Museum, London |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Ettingsh. |
Constantin Freiherr von Ettingshausen (born June 16, 1826, in Vienna, Austria – died February 1, 1897, in Graz, Austria) was an important Austrian botanist. He was especially famous for studying ancient plants, called fossil flora, from the Tertiary era. His father was Andreas von Ettingshausen, a well-known physicist.
Contents
Discovering Ancient Plants
Constantin von Ettingshausen was a scientist who loved plants, especially very old ones. He studied plants that had turned into fossils over millions of years. This field of study is called paleobotany.
Early Life and Education
Constantin was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1826. He grew up learning about science from his father, Andreas von Ettingshausen. His father was a famous physicist.
In 1848, Constantin finished his studies at the University of Vienna. He earned a degree as a doctor of medicine.
Becoming a Professor
In 1854, Constantin became a professor. He taught botany (the study of plants) and natural history at a military academy in Vienna. He was very good at teaching and sharing his knowledge.
Later, in 1871, he moved to Graz, another city in Austria. There, he became a professor of botany at the University of Graz. He kept this job for the rest of his life.
Studying Fossils Around the World
Constantin von Ettingshausen spent a lot of time studying fossil plants. He was very interested in plants from the Tertiary period. This period was a long time ago, from about 66 to 2.6 million years ago.
From 1876, he often visited London, England. He worked at the Natural History Museum, London, helping to organize their huge collections of plant fossils.
He became well-known for his research on fossil plants from different parts of Europe. He also studied ancient plants found in Australia and New Zealand. His work helped scientists understand what plants looked like millions of years ago.
A Plant Named in His Honor
Because of his important work, another scientist named August Wilhelm Stiehler honored him. In 1857, Stiehler named an extinct (no longer living) plant genus after him. This plant genus is called Ettingshausenia. It belongs to the Vitaceae family, which includes grapevines.
Constantin von Ettingshausen's studies helped us learn a lot about the history of plants on Earth.
