Francis Willughby, pictured here in a portrait, was the first naturalist to actually describe species, including the measurements of birds, fish, and insects—something we now take for granted.
The Amazing Tale of the Genius that History Forgot
Naturalist Francis Willughby was the first to do things we now take for granted in science, like measuring bird beaks and fish fins.
We all know the names Isaac Newton or Charles Darwin. But somehow British naturalist Francis Willughby—a precocious talent who revolutionized the way we look at the world—slipped through the cracks of history to become one of the forgotten geniuses of science. For his new book, The Wonderful Mr Willughby, Tim Birkhead dusted off the archives to bring this trailblazing, 17th-century scientist to a new audience.
Speaking from Sheffield, England, Birkhead explains how Willughby was the first ornithologist to systematically classify birds, why the Venice fish market was such a rich source of specimens; and why he would like to rename a rare buzzard in honor of Willughby.
We should be interested in him because Willughby was
