Ernst Marcus (zoologist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ernst Marcus
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Ernst Marcus in 1943
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| Born |
Ernst Gustav Gotthelf Marcus
8 June 1893 |
| Died | 30 June 1968 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | German |
| Citizenship | German, Brazilian |
| Alma mater | Berlin University |
| Spouse(s) | Eveline Du Bois-Reymond Marcus |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Zoology, Bryozoology, Malacology |
| Institutions | University of São Paulo |
| Doctoral students | Eudóxia Maria Froehlich, Claudio Gilberto Froehlich Walter Narchi |
| Author abbrev. (zoology) | Er. Marcus |
Ernst Gustav Gotthelf Marcus (born June 8, 1893 – died June 30, 1968) was a German zoologist. He was a professor of zoology at the University of São Paulo in Brazil from 1936 to 1963. He also helped start the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo.
Contents
Ernst Marcus's Life Story
Early Life and Studies
Ernst Marcus was born in Berlin, Germany. He grew up in a Jewish family. As a child, he loved animals and lived near the Berlin Zoo. He spent a lot of time there, watching all sorts of creatures. He also enjoyed collecting beetles.
He went to the Kaiser Friedrich Gymnasium for school. Later, he studied zoology at the Friedrich Wilhelm University.
Starting His Scientific Career
Ernst began working on his PhD in the Entomology Department at the Berlin Museum. In 1914, he published his first scientific paper about animals. However, his studies were paused because of World War I. He served as a soldier during the war.
After the war, in 1919, he finished his PhD. His second paper was about beetles. He then continued to work at the museum. He was asked to study a group of tiny water animals called Bryozoa. Since there was no one to teach him, he learned everything about them by himself.
Becoming a Professor
In 1923, Ernst Marcus earned a special permission called 'Privat-Dozent'. This allowed him to teach at the university. So, he became a professor at the Friedrich Wilhelm University. He worked with another scientist, Karl Heider. This made Ernst interested in how animals develop.
In 1924, when he was 31, he married Eveline Du Bois-Reymond. She was also a scientist. Together, they wrote many important papers about animals. In 1929, he became an Associate Professor at the Zoological Institute.
Moving to Brazil
Life in Germany became difficult with the rise of Nazism. Because he was Jewish, Ernst Marcus lost his job in 1935. In March 1936, he received an exciting offer from São Paulo, Brazil. He was offered a professorship there. This offer came from a group that helped Jewish scientists find new jobs.
Later that month, Ernst and Eveline moved to Brazil. They arrived on April 1, 1936. Ernst started teaching zoology at the University of São Paulo. He took over the position after Professor Ernst Bresslau passed away. In Brazil, he began studying the bryozoans found there.
Research During Wartime
When World War II started, Ernst Marcus faced another challenge. Because of his German background, he was not allowed to visit the coast in Brazil. This meant he couldn't study marine animals. So, he changed his focus. He started studying freshwater bryozoans and other freshwater and land invertebrates. These included worms like oligochaetes and turbellarians.
In 1945, he became a full professor of zoology. He also presented a big research paper about tiny flatworms called microturbellarians. After the war ended, he was invited to return to Germany. But he decided to stay in Brazil. He said he didn't want to start his life over for a third time.
Later Research and Legacy
Once the war was over, Ernst was allowed to go back to the coast. He continued his work on bryozoans. But he also focused more on turbellarians and later on sea slugs, known as opisthobranchs.
Between 1936 and 1968, Ernst and Eveline Marcus published 162 scientific papers together. Their first papers were in Portuguese. Later, they published in English. Their research covered many different groups of invertebrates. These included flatworms, annelids (segmented worms), tardigrades (water bears), onychophorans (velvet worms), nemertines (ribbon worms), phoronids (horseshoe worms), gastropods (snails and slugs), and pycnogonids (sea spiders).
Ernst Marcus passed away in 1968. His wife, Eveline, continued their research until her own death.
Species Named in His Honor
Many animal species have been named after Ernst Marcus to honor his work. Some examples include the land planarians Luteostriata ernesti and Imbira marcusi.
