The two-volume work on the fossils of the Loire basin, published by Louis Édouard Bureau between 1910 and 1914, remains a testament to his intensive engagement with paleontology. Born in Nantes in 1830, this French polymath balanced a career as a medical doctor with extensive contributions to geology, zoology, and botanical classification throughout the nineteenth century.
Academic Training and Early Career
Bureau received his initial education at the lycée Georges-Clemenceau before attending the Science Faculty of Paris and the Paris Medical Faculty. He completed his doctorate in France in 1852. Before his long tenure at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, he served as the director of the Muséum de Nantes. His early professional output included a 1856 study on the Loganiaceae family and their medicinal applications, bridging his medical background with botanical research.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Museum Tenure and Botanical Classification
In 1872, he joined the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, eventually securing a professorship in 1874 that he held until 1905. He oversaw the museum's herbaria starting in 1875. During this period, he contributed the Bignoniaceae section to the Flora brasiliensis and the Moraceae chapters for volume XVII of the Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis. His collaborative work included documenting plants collected during the 1890 expedition to Tibet and western China led by Prince Henri d'Orléans.
Paleobotanical Research and Honors
Bureau significantly expanded the paleontological collections of the museum. His specific interest in the Loire basin led to the 1911 publication concerning Devonian fossils. Throughout his life, his scientific efforts were recognized through various honors, including the Knight of the Legion of Honour, Commander of the Order of the Rose, and Commander of the Order of the Crown in Romania. He was a member of numerous organizations, including the Académie Nationale de Médecine and the Royal Botanical Society of Belgium.
Fast facts
- Born: 1830, Nantes
- Died: 1918, Paris
- Primary Employer: Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
- Academic Degree: Doctorate in France
- Fields of study: Zoology, botany, geology, mycology, medicine, paleobotany
- Notable Honors: Knight of the Legion of Honour
- Burial Site: Père Lachaise Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What specific botanical group was named in his honor?
The species Rhododendron bureavii, an elepidote rhododendron from China, was named for him.
Did Bureau hold any leadership positions in scientific societies?
Yes, he was a founder of the Société botanique de France and served as its chairman in 1875, 1883, 1902, and 1905.
Achievements
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
- Commander of the Order of the Rose
- Commander of the Order of the Crown (Romania)
- Held posts at Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
- Fields: botany, paleobotany and mycology
