Diva Diniz Corrêa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Diva Diniz Corrêa
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Diva Diniz Corrêa in 1958
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| Born |
Diva Diniz Corrêa
10 May 1918 Avaré
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| Died | 28 April 1993 (aged 74) |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Zoology |
| Institutions | University of São Paulo |
| Author abbrev. (zoology) | Corrêa |
Diva Diniz Corrêa was a famous Brazilian scientist who studied marine animals. She was born on May 10, 1918, and passed away on April 28, 1993. She became well-known for her work as a zoologist, focusing on creatures that live in the ocean.
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Her Early Life and Studies
Diva Diniz Corrêa was born in 1918 in a place called Avaré, in São Paulo, Brazil. She was the youngest of three sisters. She was the only one in her family to go to college, which was a big step!
In 1939, Diva started studying Natural History at the University of São Paulo. This is where she met and became good friends with two other important zoologists, Ernst Marcus and Eveline Du Bois-Reymond Marcus. After she graduated in 1941, she learned more about geology and ancient life from Dr. Ottorino de Fiore di Coprani.
Teaching and Research
From 1943 to 1945, Diva taught natural history at a school near São Paulo. Soon after, she was offered a job as a professor at the University of São Paulo. There, she taught classes about animals and how their bodies work (called Physiology). She often traveled to the coast to find specimens for her classes and her own research.
In 1948, Diva earned her special doctor's degree. Her research was about the early development of a tiny sea creature called Bugulina flabellata, which is a type of bryozoan. She received the highest possible grade for her work!
Amazing Discoveries and Travels
Diva received many special scholarships to travel and study. In 1952, she went to Italy to study how nemerteans (a type of worm) move and how their nervous systems work. This led to her writing many important scientific papers.
In 1957, she got another scholarship to visit the University of California. There, she studied nemerteans found along the coasts of California and Oregon. She even wrote a whole book about them!
From 1958 to 1959, Diva had an internship in Miami, USA. She also visited the U. S. Virgin Islands. During her time in the United States, she really liked Coca-Cola. She even named a new type of nemertean worm Zygonemertes cocacola!
In 1962, she traveled to Curaçao in the Caribbean for another internship. This trip helped her find many new nemerteans and describe a new type of flatworm.
Leading the Zoology Department
Later in 1962, Diva returned to the University of São Paulo. She became a professor in the Department of Zoology. She took over the position from her friend and mentor, Professor Ernst Marcus, after he retired. From 1963 to 1977, Diva Diniz Corrêa made history as the first female director of the Department of Zoology! She retired from the university in 1988.
Animals Named After Her
Diva Diniz Corrêa was so important in her field that several animals were named in her honor! These include:
- A flatworm genus called Dinizia
- Two nemertean worm genera, Divanella and Correanemertes
- A sea snail species called Piseinotecus divae
