GEORGES CUVIER — AN OUTSTANDING SCIENTIST-NATURALIST (TO THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF BIRTHDAY)

Abstract

Georges Cuvier belongs to the most largest naturalists of the end of 18th – the first half of 19th century. He published more than 300 scientific works, which considered different problems — from the design of comparative-anatomical fundament for the development of the creatures system, to the questions of natural science. Cuvier suggested his own sight of the progress in organic world, which gave to the geologists the scientific method on geochronology. His theory of catastrophes, which provided the change of the subsequent systems of flora and fauna on the Earth, had a huge influence on the further development of science. The result of its use was the appearance of the stratigraphic scale in the first half of 19th century. The most important reform of the zoological systematics is connected with the Kuvier’s works. On the base of comparative- anatomical method, he justified for the first time the study ot the four main forms of the organization of the creatures, or the plans of the animal kingdom’s structure. The stratigraphic scheme of Paris basin, suggested by Kuvier, became the example pattern for the differentiation of the similar deposits in other regions of Western Europe. A brief biographic data has been provided.