15 Facts About Carlo Fornasini

Cavaliere dottore Carlo Fornasini was an Italian micropalaeontologist who specialised in Foraminifera.

Carlo Fornasini was a pioneer in using fossil forams to sequence marine sedimentary deposits by their relative dates; a technique called biostratigraphy.

Carlo Fornasini was the third son of Francesco Fornasini, a medical doctor, and his wife Carlotta.

Carlo Fornasini studied natural sciences at the University of Bologna, under the guidance of Giovanni Capellini, the Professor of Geology there.

In 1881, Carlo Fornasini returned to palaeontology, possibly persuaded by his friend Lodovico Foresti.

Carlo Fornasini remained a member until at least 1922, and between 1883 and 1903 served several times as deputy secretary and as a member of its council.

Carlo Fornasini was no longer one of the principal editors after 1896, but he is named on the title page as a collaboratore until 1904.

Carlo Fornasini nevertheless maintained an interest in his speciality, and donated his library and his collection of specimens to the Museo Geologico.

Carlo Fornasini married Emilia Erhardt, and they had two children: Carlo Francesco, a son, and Elsa, a daughter.

Carlo Fornasini is commemorated by a bronze plaque in the Museo Geologico.

Carlo Fornasini worked mostly as an amateur scientist, independent of academic institutions.

Carlo Fornasini published chiefly in the journals Bollettino della Societa geologica italiana, Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna, and Rivista italiana di paleontologia.

Carlo Fornasini published more than sixty papers in those journals.

However, the fact that as of 2019 Carlo Fornasini is still credited as taxonomic authority for 77 of those 78 species shows that he was a careful, accurate and knowledgeable observer.

In 1964, his son Carlo Fornasini Francesco donated land and money in his will to set up in his father's memory the Fondazione Dott.