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Single-Celled Marine Organisms Resulted in an Influential Illustrated Book

11 days ago
https://lithub.com/how-the-discovery-of-single-celled-marine-organisms-resulted-in-one-of-the-most-influential-illustrated-books-ever-published/
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  • #evolutionary science
  • #scientific illustration
  • #marine biology
  • Radiolarians are single-celled marine organisms with intricate glassine skeletons that blend geometry and biology.
  • They distill silica from seawater, creating complex geometric forms like polyhedra and icosahedrons.
  • Radiolarians live for about two weeks before sinking to the ocean floor, forming siliceous ooze that eventually becomes radiolarite (chert or flint).
  • Ernst Haeckel, a German physician turned marine biologist, discovered over 100 new radiolarian species and published an illustrated monograph, 'The Radiolarians,' in 1862.
  • Haeckel's 'Art Forms in Nature' (1899-1904) became a landmark work, influencing art nouveau, Jugendstil, and architecture, including designs by Antoni Gaudí and Louis Sullivan.
  • Haeckel's precise drawings, aided by a microscope's camera lucida, revolutionized marine biology and earned him international acclaim.
  • His collaboration with lithographer Adolf Giltsch produced over 4,000 radiolarian species descriptions for the Challenger expedition reports.
  • Radiolarians' geometric beauty and Haeckel's illustrations continue to inspire art, science, and design.
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