Samuel Walton Garman (June 5, 1843 – September 30, 1927), or "Garmann" as he sometimes styled himself,
was a
naturalist/
zoologist
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...
from Pennsylvania. He became noted as an
ichthyologist
Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish, including bony fish (Osteichthyes), cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes), and jawless fish (Agnatha). According to FishBase, 33,400 species of fish had been described as of October ...
and
herpetologist.
Biography
Garman was born in
Indiana County, Pennsylvania, on 5 June 1843. In 1868 he joined an expedition to the American West with
John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell (March 24, 1834 – September 23, 1902) was an American geologist, U.S. Army soldier, explorer of the American West, professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions. He ...
. He graduated from the
Illinois State Normal University in 1870, and for the following year was principal of the
Mississippi State Normal School. In 1871, he became professor of natural sciences in Ferry Hall Seminary,
Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 19,367. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest ...
, and a year later became a special pupil of
Louis Agassiz
Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz ( ; ) FRS (For) FRSE (May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born American biologist and geologist who is recognized as a scholar of Earth's natural history.
Spending his early life in Switzerland, he rec ...
.
He was a friend and regular correspondent of the naturalist
Edward Drinker Cope
Edward Drinker Cope (July 28, 1840 – April 12, 1897) was an American zoologist, paleontologist, comparative anatomist, herpetologist, and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy intereste ...
, and in 1872 accompanied him on a fossil hunting trip to Wyoming. In 1870 he became assistant director of
herpetology and
ichthyology at Harvard's
Museum of Comparative Zoology
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...
. His work was mostly in the classification of fish, especially sharks, but also included reptiles and amphibians. Harvard College awarded him
honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad ho ...
s for his scientific work, B.S. in 1898 and A.M. in 1899.
Personal
While working at Harvard, he lived in
Arlington Heights, Massachusetts. In 1895, he married Florence Armstrong of
Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of K ...
. They had a daughter.
Taxon described by him
*See
:Taxa named by Samuel Garman
Taxon named in his honor
*Garman is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of Jamaican lizard, ''
Anolis garmani''.
*The
Rosette skate
The Rosette skate (''Leucoraja garmani'') is an abundant mid-depth skate.
Etymology
The skate is named in honor of American ichthyologist-herpetologist Samuel Garman (1843‒1927), of Harvard University.
Distribution and habitat
The Rosette S ...
''Leucoraja garmani''
( Whitley, 1939) is named after him.
[https://etyfish.org/]
Publications (selected)
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References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Garman, Samuel
1843 births
1927 deaths
American taxonomists
American herpetologists
American ichthyologists
19th-century American zoologists
20th-century American zoologists
Harvard University staff
Illinois State University alumni
People from Indiana County, Pennsylvania