14 Facts About Paul Pelseneer

Jean Paul Louis Pelseneer was a Belgian malacologist, morphologist, ethologist and phylogenist.

In 1880, at the age of seventeen, Pelseneer became a member of the Belgian Malacological Society.

Paul Pelseneer studied at the University of Brussels and in 1884 he obtained his doctor's degree in natural sciences.

Paul Pelseneer continued his studies with the French zoologist Alfred Mathieu Giard at the marine laboratory in Wimereux, and concluded his studies with the English invertebrate zoologist Ray Lankester at University College London.

Paul Pelseneer then became a teacher of chemistry at the Normal School in Ghent.

Paul Pelseneer devoted himself to zoology during his spare time, without having a laboratory at his disposal.

Paul Pelseneer became recognized in Belgium as well as abroad as one of the most eminent zoologists of his time, but he never obtained an appointment as university professor and thus was not able to transfer his knowledge to students.

Paul Pelseneer's dissections were made using the most simple instruments, almost children's toys.

Paul Pelseneer was given drawing lessons by the Belgian painter and sculptor Constantin Meunier, so that he could illustrate his scientific papers himself.

In 1889, Paul Pelseneer became a corresponding member of the Royal Academy of Belgium, and became an ordinary member in 1903.

Paul Pelseneer was elected Honorary Member of the Malacological Society of London in 1922.

Paul Pelseneer studied material from the Challenger expedition and from the Siboga Expedition led by Max Carl Wilhelm Weber.

Paul Pelseneer contributed to replacing Wallace's line, which separates the biogeographic realms Australasia and Indomalaya, by a line located farther east, which he named Weber's line.

Paul Pelseneer is the father of historian of science Jean Pelseneer.