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Dutch biologist, ethnologist and curator From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dirk Cornelis Geijskes (16 May 1907 – 27 September 1985) was a Dutch biologist, ethnologist and curator. He was the first director of the Surinaams Museum.[1] As a biologist, he specialised in dragonflies. He would lead many expeditions into the interior of Suriname. In 1967, he became curator at the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie[2] where he started the dragonfly collection. Geijskes is the author of 123 publications,[2] and 25 species have been named after him.[3]
Dirk Geijskes | |
|---|---|
Geijskes (c. 1960) | |
| Born | Dirk Cornelis Geijskes 16 May 1907 |
| Died | 27 September 1985 (aged 78) Leiden, Netherlands |
| Occupation(s) | Biologist, ethnologist, curator |
| Known for | Director Surinaams Museum, dragonfly collection Naturalis, expeditions to the interior of Suriname |
Geijskes was born on 16 May 1907 in Kats, Netherlands.[2] In 1927, he went to Leiden University to study biology.[4] In 1929, he travelled to Trinidad to study dragonflies which would become his speciality.[5] Next, he went to the University of Basel, and in 1935 obtained his doctorate magna cum laude[1][2] for a thesis on the fauna and ecology of the Swiss Jura.[6] In 1936, he first described Brevipalpus phoenicis which was later discovered to be the main factor for Citrus leprosis disease.[7][8]
In 1938, Geijskes started to work as an entomologist for the Landbouwproefstation (Experimental agricultural station) in Suriname.[9] During his stay in Suriname, Geijskes would lead many expeditions into the interior.[10] In 1939, he went to the Litany River to study the poisoned arrows of the Wayana people.[10][11] In 1941, he participated in the Paroe Savanna expedition to the Tiriyó people.[10][12] In 1943, he embarked on the Coppename River expedition during which the Tafelberg was climbed for the first time.[11] In 1948 and 1949, he led an expedition from the coastal area across the Nassau Mountains.[11] The expedition collected about 10,000 specimens including 1,500 butterflies.[13]
In 1954, Geijskes would become government biologist and the first director of the Surinaams Museum.[2] In 1958, he led an expedition to the Tafelberg with Rudi Kappel to examine the savannah around the mountain, and investigate whether an airstrip could be built there.[14] The successful construction of an airstrip led to Operation Grasshopper in 1959 which mapped the natural resources in the interior.[15]
On 2 May 1965, Geijskes returned for the Netherlands,[16] and in 1967 started to work as curator at the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (nowadays Naturalis).[2] where he started the dragonfly collection. In 2015, the collection contained 20,000 species.[3] In the Netherlands, he also would become a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1959 but he resigned in 1965.[17] He would also become and editor of the New West Indian Guide.[9]
Geijskes died on 27 September 1985 in Leiden, at the age of 78.[18]
Upon return to the Netherlands, Geijskes became officer in the Order of Orange Nassau. He was awarded a bronze medal by the Royal Dutch Geographical Society.[9]
Geijskes is the author of 123 publications,[2] and 25 species have been named after him.[3] In 1970, the dragonfly genus Lauromacromia was created by Geijskes.[19] In 2011, it held six species.[20]
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