Stoycho Vassilev Breskovski ( bg, Стойчо Василев Бресковски) (December 25, 1934, Granit,

Stara Zagora Province Stara Zagora ( bg, Област Стара Загора), formerly known as the Stara Zagora okrug, is a province of south-central Bulgaria. It is named after its administrative and industrial centre—the city of Stara Zagora—the sixt ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

– January 15, 2004,

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

) was a

paleontologist Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

Biography

Stoycho Breskovski was the only son of

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

s Vassil Stoychev Breskovski (1902 - 1978) and Paraskeva () Breskovska (1906 - 1988). After receiving his primary and secondary education in

Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...

, he studied

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

Sofia University Sofia University, "St. Kliment Ohridski" at the University of Sofia, ( bg, Софийски университет „Св. Климент Охридски“, ''Sofijski universitet „Sv. Kliment Ohridski“'') is the oldest higher education i ...

and graduated in 1958. Then, he took active part in Bulgarian

geological survey A geological survey is the systematic investigation of the geology beneath a given piece of ground for the purpose of creating a geological map or model. Geological surveying employs techniques from the traditional walk-over survey, studying outc ...

and in the preparation of the

geologic map A geologic map or geological map is a special-purpose map made to show various geological features. Rock units or geologic strata are shown by color or symbols. Bedding planes and structural features such as faults, folds, are shown with st ...

of Bulgaria at scale of 1:200,000. Later Dr. Breskovski was noted for his research on

Lower Cretaceous Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is situated about five miles south west of Dursley, eight ...

Barremian The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale (or a chronostratigraphic stage) between 129.4 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago) and 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous Epoch (or Lower Cretaceous Series). It is preceded ...

fauna. He was also credited for discovering, identifying and discerning several

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

subfamilies In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

and

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

ammonites Ammonoids are a group of extinct marine mollusc animals in the subclass Ammonoidea of the class Cephalopoda. These molluscs, commonly referred to as ammonites, are more closely related to living coleoids (i.e., octopuses, squid and cuttlefish) ...

. From 1974 to 1995 Breskovski had been research associate and curator of the paleontology collection at the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia. He contributed to the collections at the natural history museums in the Bulgarian cities of

Elena Elena may refer to: People * Elena (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name * Joan Ignasi Elena (born 1968), Catalan politician * Francine Elena (born 1986), British poet Geography * Elena (town), a town in Veliko ...

Rousse Ruse (also transliterated as Rousse, Russe; bg, Русе ) is the fifth largest city in Bulgaria. Ruse is in the northeastern part of the country, on the right bank of the Danube, opposite the Romanian city of Giurgiu, approximately south of ...

Razgrad Razgrad ( bg, Разград ) is a city in Northeastern Bulgaria in the valley of the Beli Lom river that falls within the historical and geographical region of Ludogorie (Deliorman). It is an administrative center of Razgrad Province. Etymolo ...

, and

Shumen Shumen ( bg, Шумен, also romanized as ''Shoumen'' or ''Šumen'', ) is the tenth largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and economic capital of Shumen Province. Etymology The city was first mentioned as ''Šimeonis'' in 1153 by t ...

. In later age he tried to reconcile his various hobbies of collecting stamps, pocket calendars,

phillumeny Phillumeny (also known as phillumenism) is the hobby of collecting different match-related items: matchboxes, matchbox labels, matchbooks, matchcovers, matchsafes, etc. Matchbox A matchbox is a box made of cardboard or thin wood and designed ...

and

philately Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is poss ...

with

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

. His older sister, Vesselina Breskovska, was professor of

mineralogy Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proces ...

, dean and vice rector at

. He was survived by his wife of 42 years and fellow paleontologist, Nona Motekova, a son and a daughter, a granddaughter and a grandson, and a

siamese cat The Siamese cat ( th, แมวไทย, Maeo Thai; แมวสยาม, Maeo Seeaam) is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cat native to Thailand (f ...

Honors

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

and two

bear his name.

Selected bibliography

* V. Tzankov, S. Breskovski (1985), Ammonites des familles ''Holcodiscidae'' Spath, 1924 et ''Astieridiscidae'' Tzankov & Breskovski, 1982. II. Description paléontologique, ''Geologica Balcanica'', 15.5, 3-53. * V. Tzankov, S. Breskovski (1985), Ammonites des familles ''Holcodiscidae'' Spath, 1924 et ''Astieridiscidae'' Tzankov & Breskovski, 1982. I. Stratigraphie et notes phylogénétiques, ''Geologica Balcanica'', 15.3, 45-62. * V. Tzankov, S Breskovski (1982), Volume et contenu de la famille ''Holcodiscidae'' Spath, 1924, ''C.R. Acad. bulg. Sci.'', 35, 4, 491-93. * St. Breskovski (1980), Des genres nouveaux du Crétacé inférieur de la famille ''Desmoceratidae'' Zittel, 1895 (Ammonoidea). ''C.R. Acad. bulg. Sci.'', 33, 2; 245-48.
St Breskovski (1977), Sur la classification de la famille ''Desmoceratidae'' Zittel, 1895 (Ammonoidea, Crétacé), ''C. R. Acad. bul. sci'', 30, 6: 891-4

St. Breskovski (1977), Genres nouveaux du Crétacé inférieur de la famille ''Desmoceratidae'' Zittel, 1895 (Ammonoidea). ''C.R. Acad. bulg. Sci.'', 30, 10; 1463-65

S. Breskovski (1975), Les zones et sous-zones ammonitiques dans l'étage Barrémien en Bulgarie du Nord-Est, ''Geologica Balcanica'', N.S., 5, 46-66

St. Breskovski (1967), ''Eleniceras'' - genre nouveau d'ammonites hautériviens, ''Bull. Geol. Inst., Ser. Paleontology'', 16: 47-52
* T. Nikolov, St. Breskovski, (1969), ''Abrytusites'' – nouveau genre d’ammonites barrémiennes. ''Bull. Geol. Inst., ser. Paleontology'', 18, 91-96.
Стойчо Бресковски (1966), Биостратиграфия на барема южно от Брестак, Варненско [Biostratigaphie du Barrémien au Sud du village de Brestak, dans la région de Varna
/nowiki>, ''Тр. Геолог Бълг., сер. Палеонтология'', 8, 71-121].

Notes

References

C. W. Wright with J.H. Callomon and M.K. Howarth (1996), ''Mollusca 4 Revised, Cretaceous Ammonoidea'', vol. 4
in ''

Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology The ''Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology'' (or ''TIP'') published by the Geological Society of America and the University of Kansas Press, is a definitive multi-authored work of some 50 volumes, written by more than 300 paleontologists, and co ...

'', Part L (Roger L. Kaesler et el. eds.), Boulder, Colorado: The Geological Society of America & Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas Press, xx + 362 p., 216 fig. * Jost Wiedmann, ''Cretaceous Ammonoidea'', i
M.R. House and J.R. Senior eds (1981), ''Ammonoidea, Environment, Ecology and Evolutionary Change'' , London: Academic Press, Systematics Association Special Volume. 18

Natalia Dimitrova (1967), ''Fosilite na Bulgaria. IV. Dolna Kreda - Glavonogi'' [Fossils of Bulgaria. IV. Lower Crateceous - Cephalopoda (Nautiloidea & Ammonoidea)
/nowiki>, Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 424 p., 93 pl. (In Bulgarian with French summary)].
Maria B. Aguirre-Urreta, Peter F. Rawson (2003), Lower Cretaceous ammonites from the Neuquén Basin, Argentina: The Hauterivian genus ''Holcoptychites'', ''Cretaceous Research'' 24, 589-613.

M. Matsukawa, I. Obata & K. Sato (2007), Barremian Ammonite Fauna of the Lower Ishido Formation, eastern part of Sanchu Cretaceous, Japan, ''Bull. of Tokyo Gakugei Univ. Nat. Sci''., 59, 77-87.

Hosni Hamama (2010), Barremian and Aptian Mollusca of Gabal Mistan and Gabal Um Mitmani, Al-Malghara Area, Northern Sinai, Egypt, ''Journal of American Science'', 6(12), at 1704.

Zdeněk Vašíček (2010), Early Cretaceous ammonites from the Butkov Quarry (Manin Unit, Central Western Carpathians, Slovakia), ''Acta Geologica Polonica'', Vol. 60, No.3, 393-415.

Peter F. Rawson, M. Beatriz Aguirre-Urreta (2012), Lower Cretaceous ammonites from the Neuquén Basin, Argentina: The Hauterivian genus ''Spidiscus'', ''Cretaceous Research'' 33, 97-105.

External links

* * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Breskovski, Stoycho Bulgarian geologists 1934 births 2004 deaths Bulgarian paleontologists People from Stara Zagora Province Sofia University alumni 20th-century Bulgarian zoologists 20th-century geologists