Charles Wyville Thomson

Professor Sir Charles Wyville Thomson (March 5, 1830 - March 10, 1882), professor of zoology and chief scientist on the Challenger expedition. Image File history File links Charles_wyville_thompson. ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in Leap years). ... 1882 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A professor (Latin: one who claims publicly to be an expert) (prof for short) is a senior teacher, lecturer and researcher, usually in a college or university. ... Zoology (Greek zoon = animal and logos = word) is the biological discipline which involves the study of animals. ... The Challenger Expedition was a scientific expedition that made many discoveries to lay the foundation of oceanography. ...

Career

A prominent Scottish naturalist, Wyville Thomson was born at Bonsyde, Linlithgowshire, on March 5, 1830 son of a surgeon in the service of the British East India Company, he was baptised Wyville Thomas Charles Thomson. He was educated at Merchiston Castle School and Edinburgh University. In 1850 he was appointed lecturer and professor of botany in 1851 at the University of Aberdeen. In 1853 he became a professor of natural history in Queen's College, Cork succeeding Professor Hincks. A year later he was nominated to the chair of mineralogy and geology at Queen's University, Belfast, and in 1860 was transferred to the chair of natural history at the same institution. In 1868 he assumed the duties of professor of botany at the Royal College of Science, Dublin, and finally in 1870 he received the natural history chair at the University of Edinburgh. Travel guide to Scotland from Wikitravel Transport in Scotland Timeline of Scottish history Caledonia List of not fully sovereign nations Subdivisions of Scotland National parks (Scotland) Traditional music of Scotland Flower of Scotland Wars of Scottish Independence National Trust for Scotland Historic houses in Scotland Castles in Scotland Museums in... Natural history is an umbrella term for what are now usually viewed as a number of distinct scientific disciplines. ... West Lothian or Linlithgowshire is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was a joint-stock company of investors, which was granted a Royal Charter by Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600, with the intent to favour trade privileges in India. ... Merchiston Castle School is unique among boarding schools in Scotland in that it is the only one open to boys only. ... The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583 as a renowned centre for teaching in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Lecturer is the name given to university teachers in most of the English-speaking world (but not at most universities in the US or Canada) who do not hold a professorship. ... Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The University of Aberdeen is a university in Aberdeen, Scotland. ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Natural history is an umbrella term for what are now usually viewed as a number of distinct scientific disciplines. ... University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork - or more commonly University College Cork (UCC) - is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland located in Cork. ... Look up chair in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Mineralogy is an earth science that involves the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals. ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... For other educational establishments called Queens, see Queens College and Queens University (disambiguation) Queens University, Belfast - or officially The Queens University of Belfast (QUB; in Irish, Ollscoil na Banríona, Béal Feirste) - is a university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Royal College of Science was a constituent part of Imperial College, London, based in South Kensington. ... Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, located near the midpoint of Irelands east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Interests

Wyville Thomson is remembered for his studies of the biological conditions of the deep seas. Being interested in crinoids, and prompted by the results of the dredgings of Michael Sars in the deep sea off the Norwegian coasts, he persuaded the Royal Navy to grant him use of HMS Lightning and HMS Porcupine for deep sea dredging expeditions in the summers of 1868 and 1869. They showed that animal life existed down to depths of 650 fathoms (1200 m), that all marine invertebrate groups are present at this depth, and that deep-sea temperatures are not as constant as had been supposed, but vary considerably, and indicate oceanic circulation. These results were described in The Depths of the Sea, which he published in 1873. Marine biology is the study of animal and plant life within waterbound ecosystems. ... Orders Articulata Cladida (extinct) Flexibilia (extinct) Camerada (extinct) Disparida (extinct) Crinoids, also known as sea lilies or feather-stars, are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea of the echinoderms (phylum Echinodermata). ... Dredging is miscellaneous excavator-type work underwater, usually in shallow sea or fresh water. ... Michael Sars (b. ... Motto: None (Royal Motto: Alt for Norge / Alt for Noreg (Everything for Norway)) 1814 Eidsvoll oath: Enig og tro til Dovre faller (United and Loyal until the Dovre Mountains fall) Anthem: Ja, vi elsker dette landet Capital Oslo Largest city Oslo Official languages Norwegian (BokmÃ¥l and Nynorsk), plus Sami... The Royal Navy is the navy of the United Kingdom. ... Ten ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Lightning. ... A fathom is a non-SI unit of length. ... Invertebrate is a term coined by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck to describe any animal without a spinal column. ... The thermohaline circulation is a term for the global density-driven circulation of the oceans. ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ...

Challenger Expedition

The remarkable hydrographic and zoological results which Wyville Thomson had demonstrated, in addition to the growing demands of ocean telegraphy, soon led to the Royal Navy to grant use of HMS Challenger for a global expedition. Wyville Thomson was selected as chief scientist, and the ship sailed on December 23, 1872. A detailed description of the voyage is available on the Challenger expedition page. Hydrography focuses on the measurement of physical characteristics of waters and marginal land. ... Telegraphy (from the Greek words tele = far away and grapho = write) is the long distance transmission of written messages without physical transport of letters, originally over wire. ... The fifth HMS Challenger (launched 1858) was a steam assisted British naval corvette. ... The Challenger Expedition was a scientific expedition that made many discoveries to lay the foundation of oceanography. ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Challenger Expedition was a scientific expedition that made many discoveries to lay the foundation of oceanography. ...

Aftermath

The Challenger Expedition was deemed a great success, and on his return Wyville Thomson received a number of academic honours, as well as a knighthood. In 1877 he published two volumes, The Voyage of the Challenger in the Atlantic, a preliminary account of the results of the voyage. He spent the next two years working on administrative duties connected with the publication of the full monograph of the voyage. Wyville Thomson had a highly strung mentality, and his health was generally poor throughout his life. He found dealing with publishers over the requirements of publishing 50 fifty volumes of detailed illustration and scientific description enormously stressful. In 1879 he ceased to perform his university duties, gave up overseeing the reports of the expedition in 1881, took to his bed and died a broken man at Bonsyde on March 10, 1882. The publishing was finally completed by his friend and colleague Sir John Murray. Wyville Thomson is commemorated in the stained glass window above the altar in St Michael's Church, Linlithgow. A statue of an armoured knight of the Middle Ages For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in Leap years). ... 1882 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Sir John Murray (March 3, 1841 - March 16, 1914), pioneering Scots-Canadian oceanographer and marine biologist. ... Linlithgow - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain.