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Cuvier’s comparative anatomy and principle of the correlation of parts allowed him and others to reconstruct extinct species from limited evidence. For example, an animal with the teeth of a herbivore, such as a sheep, would have an appropriate digestive system, not the digestive system of a carnivore.

Using his principle of the correlation of parts, in 1800 Cuvier was the first scientist to publish work identifying a fossil as a flying reptile. He named it pterodactyl.

Cuvier’s observations of fossils led him to theorize that our planet has endured occasional sudden violent events and these have caused extinctions of species. He called these events revolutions. He was not the first to advance a theory of catastrophism, but he provided scientific evidence to back it up. The theory of catastrophism was at odds with...

Cuvier’s rock strata research with Alexandre Brongniart supported the work of William Smith in establishing one of paleontology’s most important principles: faunal succession. This principle states that the order in which fossils appear in rock layers is reliable and predictable. This means that animals in existence during different geological eras...

Cuvier’s best known work is Le Règne Animal (The Animal Kingdom) first published in 1817. The book is a comprehensive summary of Cuvier’s studies of fossils and living species, and contains over 300 of Cuvier’s own drawings.

We’ve Found All the Big Ones In 1812, Cuvier told the world it was unlikely any large fossil animal remained undiscovered. He was wrong. Many large animals have been discovered since then, including, for example Argentinosaurus, discovered in 1987. Interestingly, although no good complete specimens of Argentinosaurushave been found, Cuvier’s princi...

Cuvier became a friend of Napoleon Bonaparte, which resulted in his being appointed to a number of leading scientific roles. Cuvier had the power to: 1. appoint people he liked to scientific positions, and 2. decide which scientific research work should receive financial support. Other scientists resented Cuvier’s power and characterized him as arr...

In 1803, age 33, Cuvier married Madame Duvaucel, née Anne Marie Sophie Loquet. She was the same age as Cuvier, and a widow with a son and daughter. Madame Duvaucel’s former husband was one of thousands guillotined during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Cuvier and his wife had four children, three of whom died in childhood. Cuvier saw no re...