Alfred Nehring (29 January 1845 in
Gandersheim – 29 September 1904 in
Berlin-Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg () is a Boroughs and localities of Berlin, locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Established as a German town law, town in 1705 and named after Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen consort of Kingdom ...
) was a German
zoologist
Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...
and
paleontologist
Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...
. He was a founding professor of zoology at the Royal agricultural university in Berlin.
Nehring was born in Gandersheim and was educated at Helmstedt and then in Braunschweig, passing his exams in 1863. He then joined the
University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen (, commonly referred to as Georgia Augusta), is a Public university, public research university in the city of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1734 ...
and then received a doctorate from Halle in 1867. He passed the teachers exam and joined the Royal Gymnasium in
Wesel
Wesel () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel (district), Wesel district.
Geography
Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine.
Division of the city
Suburbs of Wesel i ...
(1867) , later moving to
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District
Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel (district), Wolfenbüttel Distri ...
(1871). His paleontology work attracted interest from Rudolf Virchow, and in 1881 he became a professor of zoology at the newly founded Royal Agricultural University / ''Landwirtschaftliche Hochschule'' in Berlin. He worked there until his death. His main interests were in the Pleistocene fossils from Thiede, Immendorf, Groß- and Klein-Vahlberg, Schöppenstedt, Hornburg and Osterode, Neinstedt, Suderode, Gernrode, Quedlinburg and Westeregeln. He also investigated the deposits in Köchingen and Vollstedt.
Nehring was a member of the Leopoldina Academy and in 1895 he received an Order of the Red Eagle, IVth Class.
Nehring's scientific investigations involved modern and prehistoric vertebrates, being particularly interested in the history and
morphology
Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to:
Disciplines
*Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts
*Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...
of
domesticated animals
This page gives a list of domesticated animals, also including a list of domestication of animals, animals which are or may be currently undergoing the process of domestication and animals that have an extensive relationship with humans beyond simp ...
(horses, dogs, etc.). In his studies of the
guinea pig
The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy ( ), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'', family Caviidae. Animal fancy, Breeders tend to use the name "cavy" for the ani ...
, he asserted ''
Cavia cutleri'' to be the direct ancestor of the domesticated guinea pig.
Selected writings
* ''Ueber die Cerviden von Piracicaba in Brasilien (Prov. St. Paulo)'', 1884 - On
cervid
A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) a ...
s of
Piracicaba
Piracicaba ( ) is a Municipalities of Brazil, Brazilian municipality located in the Interior of São Paulo, interior of São Paulo (state), São Paulo state, in the Southeast Region, Brazil, Southeast Region of Brazil. It serves as the main city ...
.
* ''Ueber eine Pelzrobben-Art von der Küste Süd-brasiliens'', 1887 - About a
fur seal
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds belonging to the subfamily Arctocephalinae in the family Otariidae. They are much more closely related to sea lions than Earless seal, true seals, and share with them external ears (Pinna (anatomy ...
species from coastal southern
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
.
* ''Ueber Sus celebensis und Verwandte'', 1889 - On the
Celebes warty pig
The Celebes warty pig (''Sus celebensis''), also called Sulawesi warty pig or Sulawesi pig, is a species in the pig genus ('' Sus'') that lives on Sulawesi in Indonesia. It survives in most habitats and can live in altitudes of up to . It has bee ...
and related animals.
* ''Ueber Tundren und Steppen der jetzt- und vorzeit, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung ihrer Fauna'', 1890 - On
tundra
In physical geography, a tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three regions and associated types of tundra: #Arctic, Arctic, Alpine tundra, Alpine, and #Antarctic ...
and
steppe
In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without closed forests except near rivers and lakes.
Steppe biomes may include:
* the montane grasslands and shrublands biome
* the tropical and subtropica ...
s (past and present), with special reference to its fauna.
* ''Die geographische Verbreitung der Säugetiere in dem Tschernosem-Gebiete des rechten Wolgaufers, sowie in den angrenzenden Gebieten'', 1891 - Geographical distribution of mammals in the
Chernozem
Chernozem ( ),; also called black soil, regur soil or black cotton soil, is a black-colored soil containing a high percentage of humus (4% to 16%) and high percentages of phosphorus and ammonia compounds. Chernozem is very fertile soil and can ...
regions on the right bank of the
Volga
The Volga (, ) is the longest river in Europe and the longest endorheic basin river in the world. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchment ...
, and adjacent areas.
* ''Neue Notizen über cervus megaceros var. Ruffii Nhrg und über das diluviale Torflager von Klinge bei Kottbus'', 1892 - New information on ''
Cervus megaceros'', etc.
* ''Ueber Kreuzungen von Cavia aperea und Cavia cobaya'', 1893 - On crossbreeding ''Cavia aperea'' and ''Cavia cobaya''.
* ''Ueber Herberstain und Hirsfogel; Beiträge zur kenntnis ihres lebens und ihrer werke'', 1897 - On
Herberstain and Hirsfogel: Contributions to the knowledge of their work.
* ''Eine neue Nesokia-Species aus Palästina'', 1898 - A new species of
Nesokia
''Nesokia'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to West Asia and Central Asia
Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also c ...
in
Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
.
* ''Die Priorität des Genusnamens Cricetus''. In: Zoologischer Anzeiger, 1900 - The priority of the genus name ''
Cricetus
The European hamster (''Cricetus cricetus''), also known as the Eurasian hamster, black-bellied hamster or common hamster, is the only species of hamster in the genus ''Cricetus''. It is native to grassland and similar habitats in a large par ...
''.
* ''Die Schädel von Ctenomys minutus Nhrg., Ct. torquatus Licht. und Ct. Pundti Nhrg'', 1900 - The skull of ''
Ctenomys minutus'', etc.
Nehring also made contributions to
Reiss &
Stübel's ''Das Totenfeld von Ancon in Peru'' (translated into English as "The
necropolis of Ancon in
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
; a contribution to our knowledge of the culture and industries of the empire of the
Incas
The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The Inca civilisation rose fr ...
", etc.)
Yufind Yale Libraries
'Das Totenfeld von Ancon in Peru
References
External links
Meyers Big Conversation Lexicon
(biographical information)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nehring, Alfred
19th-century German zoologists
German paleontologists
1904 deaths
1845 births
People from Northeim