Georges Cuvier
A founder of paleontology and comparative anatomy, known for his work on extinction and his opposition to evolutionary theories.
Most quoted
"The animal kingdom, viewed in its entirety, presents a vast and complex network of relationships, where every part is connected to every other part, and where the destruction of one link can reverberate throughout the whole."
— from Le Règne Animal distribué d'après son organisation
"Every organized being forms a whole, a unique and closed system, of which all the parts mutually correspond and concur to the same definitive action by a reciprocal reaction."
— from The Animal Kingdom, 1817
"Our consciousness allows us to reflect on our own mortality, to ponder the meaning of our brief existence, and to seek solace in the enduring patterns of the natural world."
— from Discourse on the Revolutions of the Surface of the Globe
All quotes by Georges Cuvier (414)
The functions of an organ are determined by its structure.
The study of nature is the study of God's works.
The Earth has been subjected to a great and sudden revolution, the last of which buried all the organized beings that inhabited it.
The bones of the elephant found in Siberia are not those of an elephant of the present day.
Give me a tooth, and I will reconstruct the animal.
The study of fossils has opened up a new world to us.
The laws of nature are immutable.
The study of anatomy is the foundation of all zoological knowledge.
The Earth is not a static globe, but a theatre of constant change.
The species are as distinct now as they were at the beginning.
The study of fossils is the most direct path to the history of the globe.
The order of nature is perfect.
The existence of extinct species is an undeniable fact.
The structure of an animal is a perfect adaptation to its mode of life.
The study of the past is essential for understanding the present.
The animal kingdom is divided into four great branches, each characterized by a distinct plan of organization.
The more we penetrate into the secrets of nature, the more we are filled with admiration.
The study of fossils has revealed to us a succession of different forms of life.
The laws of correlation are so constant that from a single bone one can often determine the class, order, and even the genus of an animal.
The Earth has been repeatedly deluged and dried up.
Contemporaries of Georges Cuvier
Other Biologys born within 50 years of Georges Cuvier (1769–1832).