Learn About These 3 Famous Mammalogists

Mammalogists are professionals who study mammals, and there are many well-known ones around the world. They perform various tasks and they work within various branches of Mammalogy, which includes taxonomy, natural history, ecology, and ethology to name a few. You might be curious and wondering who are some of the most famous mammalogists and if you are, then you’ve come to the right place. Below is a short list of famous mammalogists, why they are famous and other interesting information about them.

Vernon Orlando Bailey

Vernon Orlando Bailey was one of the most famous mammalogists in America. He lived from 1864 to 1942 and throughout his career, he has contributed a lot. He worked for the United States Department of Agriculture, as well as the Bureau of Biological Survey.

During his time at the Bureau of Biological Survey, he contributed to around 12,000 specimens, including new species. He has also published hundreds of monographs and articles while he was working for the USDA. Bailey was well-known for his biological surveys of the states of Oregon, New Mexico, North Dakota and Texas. In fact, in Texas, there is a peak (Vernon Bailey Peak) that bears his name in Big Bend National Park.

Tim Flannery

Another famous mammalogist is Tim Flannery, who was born in 1956 and is from Australia. During his early years of his career, he researched the evolution of mammals in Australia, New Zealand and other areas of Australasia. While he was doing his doctoral studies, he described over two dozen new kangaroo species, which increased a few subfamilies and over 10 new generals.

Throughout the 90s, Flannery discovered more than 20 new species while he was surveying Melanesia’s mammals. Also, he leads conservation efforts in the area. Sir David Attenborough once described the mammalogist as being in the same league as many other great explorers, and this statement alone proves that Flannery is one of the best mammalogists of all-time.

George Schaller

Born in 1993, German-American mammalogist George Schaller has been recognized for his work involving studying wildlife in Africa, as well as South America and Asia. He grew up in Germany and relocated to the United States when he was a teenager. He eventually went on to become the vice president of Panthera Corporation, which is a company that focuses on the preservation of big cats. Besides this, he also works at the Wildlife Conservation Society, which is based at the Bronx Zoo.

The above mammalogists are a few of the most famous ones that have lived or currently living. As you can see, they have all made great contributions to the field and it is fair to say that they have accomplished things in their field that are impressive and groundbreaking. Keep in mind that there are many other mammalogists who are well-known and contributed a lot to the field, but the above are definitely some of the best in the field. Now you know who are some of the most famous mammalogists, the work they have done and why they are well-known.