Eudóxia Maria Froehlich facts for kids

Eudóxia Maria Froehlich (born October 21, 1928 – died September 26, 2015) was a famous Brazilian zoologist. A zoologist is a scientist who studies animals. She spent her life learning about many different creatures, especially tiny ones.

A Life of Discovery

Eudóxia Maria de Oliveira Pinto was born in 1928. Her mother was Alice Alves de Camargo. Her father, Olivério Mário de Oliveira Pinto, was an ornithologist. An ornithologist is a scientist who studies birds.

Early Interests

When Eudóxia was a child, her parents often took her and her siblings to the forests near São Paulo. These trips helped her become very interested in zoology. She especially loved studying small animals.

Choosing a Path

After finishing high school, Eudóxia spent six months in Rio de Janeiro. She stayed with her uncle, who was a doctor. This experience made her want to study medicine. However, her father suggested she study natural history instead. Natural history is the study of living things and nature. Eudóxia decided to follow his advice.

While studying, she met Claudio Gilberto Froehlich. He was one of her classmates, and they later got engaged.

Advanced Studies

In 1951, Eudóxia and Claudio started their advanced studies together. They studied at the Universidade de São Paulo. Their professor, Ernst Marcus, was their main guide.

Professor Marcus suggested they study land planarians. These are a type of flatworm that live on land. He thought this was a good idea because not many people had studied them. Also, there were many different kinds of land planarians in Brazil.

Focus on Tiny Creatures

Eudóxia continued to study land planarians until 1978. After that, she started focusing on arachnids. Arachnids are a group of animals that includes spiders, scorpions, and ticks.

She retired in 1988. However, she continued her work as a special professor. She remained active in her field until she passed away in 2015.

Honoring Her Work

Scientists have named several creatures after Eudóxia Maria Froehlich. This is a way to honor her important contributions to science.

For example, a group of land planarians is called Eudoxiatopoplana. Also, some specific species of land planarians are named after her. These include Obama eudoxiae, Obama eudoximariae, and Notogynaphallia froehlichae.