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Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
French natural historian (1707-1788) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (7 September 1707 – 16 April 1788), usually called Buffon, was a French naturalist. He was also a mathematician, cosmologist and encyclopedic author.
George-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon | |
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![]() Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon | |
Born | (1707-09-07)September 7, 1707 |
Died | April 16, 1788(1788-04-16) (aged 80) |
Nationality | French |
Known for | Histoire naturelle |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Natural history |
Institutions | Jardin du Roi |
Influenced | Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck |
His collected information influenced the next two generations of naturalists, including Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck and Georges Cuvier.
Buffon published 35 volumes of his Histoire naturelle during his lifetime, and nine more were published after his death, for a total of 44 volumes.[1] "Truly, Buffon was the father of all thought in natural history in the second half of the 18th century". [2]p330
Buffon held the position of Intendant (Director) of the Jardin du Roi, now called the Jardin des Plantes; it is the French equivalent of Kew Gardens. The Lycée Buffon in Paris is named after him.