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 more we study the works of nature, the more we are convinced of the existence of a supreme intelligence.
The animal kingdom is a vast chain of beings, all of which are connected to each other.
The study of fossils has revealed to us a new world, a world that existed before our own.
The earth has been subject to great and sudden changes, which have profoundly modified its surface.
The more we know, the more we realize how much we don't know.
The organization of animals is a perfect adaptation of means to ends.
The fossil remains of animals are the most eloquent witnesses of the revolutions of the globe.
The earth has undergone a series of catastrophes, each of which has been followed by a new creation.
The more we study nature, the more we are convinced of the wisdom of its Author.
The animal kingdom is a vast and magnificent edifice, all the parts of which are admirably arranged.
The study of fossils is the most interesting and important branch of natural history.
The older the layers of the earth, the more different the life forms found within them.
Extinction is a fact; species do not change, they disappear.
The sciences enrich all those who engage in them, and all those whom they reach.
A dead animal is the most perfect of all museums.
Comparative anatomy has taught us that the Creator has followed a single plan in the construction of all animals.
The study of fossils reveals the catastrophes that have shaped our world.
Nature never deceives us; it is we who deceive ourselves.
In the vast theater of time, species enter and exit like actors on a stage.
The harmony of the animal kingdom is a testament to divine order.
Contemporaries of Georges Cuvier
Other Biologys born within 50 years of Georges Cuvier (1769–1832).