Thomas Rymer Jones facts for kids
Thomas Rymer Jones (born 1810, died 1880) was an English surgeon, a university teacher, and a zoologist. A zoologist is a scientist who studies animals. He was also a FRS, which means he was a member of a very important group of scientists in the UK.
Contents
His Early Life and Studies
Thomas Rymer Jones was the son of a captain in the Royal Navy. He studied medicine at Guy's Hospital in Paris. In 1833, he earned a special medical qualification called M.R.C.S. This meant he was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. However, he could not work as a surgeon because he had a hearing impairment, meaning he had trouble hearing.
His Work as a Professor
In 1836, Thomas Rymer Jones became the first professor of comparative anatomy at King's College London. Comparative anatomy is the study of how the bodies of different animals are similar and different. From 1840 to 1842, he was also the Fullerian Professor of Physiology at the Royal Institution. This was another important teaching role.
In 1838, at a big science meeting in Newcastle, he disagreed with another scientist named Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg. Ehrenberg believed that certain tiny water creatures called infusoria had many stomachs. Jones was the only one who argued against this idea.
Later Life and Recognition
Thomas Rymer Jones was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a high honor for scientists. He stopped teaching in 1874. He passed away in London on December 10, 1880.
His Books and Writings
Thomas Rymer Jones wrote many important books and articles about animals. His book, General Outline of the Animal Kingdom, and Manual of Comparative Anatomy, was published between 1838 and 1841. It had many pictures and became a very important textbook for students.
He also wrote articles about comparative anatomy for a large medical book called Cyclopædia of Anatomy and Physiology. He wrote other popular books about zoology, which is the study of animals. Here are some of his other works:
- The Natural History of Animals (Invertebrates only) (1845–52): This book was based on his lectures and focused on animals without backbones.
- The Aquarian Naturalist, a Manual for the Seaside (1858): This book was a guide for people interested in sea life.
- The Animal Creation; a popular introduction to Zoology (1865): This was an easy-to-understand introduction to the study of animals.
- The Natural History of Birds, a popular introduction to Ornithology (1867): This book was an introduction to ornithology, which is the study of birds.
- Mammalia: a popular introduction to Natural History (1873): This book was about mammals, which are animals that feed their young milk.
He also helped edit other books. For example, he edited a book by William Kirby in 1852. He also helped translate a section about birds from a German book called Brehms Tierleben. This translated part was published as Cassell's Book of Birds between 1869 and 1873.
