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Carl Wiman and the foundation of Mesozoic vertebrate palaeontology in Sweden

Jan Ove R. Ebbestad
Carl Wiman and the foundation of Mesozoic vertebrate palaeontology in Sweden (in Mesozoic biotas of Scandinavia and its Arctic territories, Benjamin P. Kear (editor), Johan Lindgren (editor), Jorn H. Hurum (editor), Jesper Milan (editor) and Vivi Vajda (editor))
Special Publication - Geological Society of London (2016) 434: 15-29

Abstract

In 1908, Carl Wiman of Uppsala University, Sweden, discovered rich horizons with Triassic vertebrate remains in Spitsbergen on Svalbard, Norway. This marked the beginning of vertebrate palaeontology as a science in Sweden, subsequently developed mainly through the collection and study of non-Swedish fossil remains. Wiman's accomplishments, resolute personality and a tight network of influential friends and supporters enabled him to become the first person in Sweden to hold a university chair in Palaeontology and Historical Geology. He also managed to amass large numbers of unique fossil vertebrate specimens culminating in an extensive Chinese collection of both world famous dinosaurs and Neogene mammals deposited at Uppsala University. Joint scientific Sino-Swedish collaboration and a deliberate Swedish scientific agenda ensured this unprecedented situation in an opportune moment. Governmental support and initiative allowed Uppsala University and Carl Wiman's Palaeontological Institute to erect a museum building dedicated foremost to the Chinese material, now known as the Lagrelius Collection in recognition of the patron behind Wiman's ambitious endeavours. In addition, the museum served as a permanent repository for seminal collections of Mesozoic fossils from Svalbard and North America. Collectively, these represent a landmark research and teaching resource that remains of intense scientific interest even today.


ISSN: 0305-8719
EISSN: 2041-4927
Coden: GSLSBW
Serial Title: Special Publication - Geological Society of London
Serial Volume: 434
Title: Carl Wiman and the foundation of Mesozoic vertebrate palaeontology in Sweden
Title: Mesozoic biotas of Scandinavia and its Arctic territories
Author(s): Ebbestad, Jan Ove R.
Author(s): Kear, Benjamin P.editor
Author(s): Lindgren, Johaneditor
Author(s): Hurum, Jorn H.editor
Author(s): Milan, Jespereditor
Author(s): Vajda, Vivieditor
Affiliation: Uppsala University, Museum of Evolution, Uppsala, Sweden
Affiliation: Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
Pages: 15-29
Published: 2016
Text Language: English
Publisher: Geological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
References: 61
Accession Number: 2016-087115
Categories: Vertebrate paleontology
Document Type: Serial
Bibliographic Level: Analytic
Illustration Description: illus. incl. 1 table, portrs.
N76°00'00" - N81°00'00", E10°00'00" - E30°00'00"
N60°00'00" - N60°00'00", E17°45'00" - E17°45'00"
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Secondary Affiliation: GeoRef, Copyright 2017, American Geosciences Institute. Reference includes data from The Geological Society, London, London, United Kingdom
Update Code: 201643
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