All posts by Grace Costantino

Happy Earth Day 2012! Here at BHL, we believe we can all make a difference to improve the health of our planet and its biodiversity. By providing researchers (and the public) with free access to literature about the world’s species, we’re empowering them with the knowledge necessary to better understand and protect life on earth. If you believe in the importance of this mission as much as we do, consider giving a gift to BHL. Together, we can make a difference for generations to come.

This week, we’re proud to feature Anders Hagborg, an associate at the Field Museum with an academic background in theoretic and applied physics. Though his professional career centered on information technology, he took up an interest in botany after retirement and currently applies this newfound passion to work at the Field Museum. As an additional note of interest, Anders grew up, studied and worked in Sweden until moving to Chicago in 1985.

Today, we are excited to present Joachim Ladwig, a fossil collector in Germany with a passion for marine vertebrates. Though an amateur researcher, he has published a myriad of papers in amateur journals and holds among his repertoire of fossil finds the remains of a plesiosaur!

Roaming through the woods and hills of Eastern Europe 500-600 years ago, you would have encountered a deluge of enchanting creatures capable of captivating the mind and heart. Sadly, today many of these wondrous creatures are extinct, including Equus Einhorn and Draconis Nobilis.

In 1516, Conrad Gessner was born. His work Historiae Animalium is considered the beginning of modern zoology. In 1707, Carl Linnaeus, the Father of Modern Taxonomy, was born. In 1735, his monumental publication, Systema Naturae, forever changed the scientific world.