Article ID: CBB001211124

On Being an Animal, or, the Eighteenth-Century Zoophyte Controversy in Britain (2012)

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Gibson, Susannah (Author)


History of Science
Volume: 50, no. 4
Issue: 4
Pages: 453-476

The article discusses debates about the nature of zoophytes, creatures that possess characteristics of both plants and animals, during the 18th century in Great Britain, focusing on the influence of polyps and similar organisms on thought in natural history and the philosophy of nature. The author highlights naturalists' re-conceptualization of animals and plants based on zoophyte studies, and special attention is paid to naturalist John Ellis' attempts to use chemical experiments to solve problems in natural history. Other topics include problems in taxonomy and systematics resulting from zoophytes; the work of naturalists Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, and Abraham Trembley; and the chain of being.

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Description On creatures that possess characteristics of both plants and animals.


Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB001211124/

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Authors & Contributors
Hoquet, Thierry
Caponi, Gustavo
Endress, Peter K.
James G. Sanderson
Holway, Tatiana M.
Woodman, Neal
Concepts
Animals
Classification in biology
Naturalists
Natural history
Evolution
Zoology
Time Periods
18th century
19th century
17th century
20th century, early
Places
France
Great Britain
Guyana; British Guiana
Amazon River Region (South America)
Boston (Massachusetts, U.S.)
Prussia (Germany)
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