Wilhelm Peters German naturalist, zoologist, anatomist and discoverer. Date of Birth: 22.04.1815 Country: Germany

Biography of Wilhelm Peters

Wilhelm Peters was a German naturalist, zoologist, anatomist, and discoverer. He was born into a pastor's family and began studying medicine and natural sciences in 1834 at the University of Copenhagen and later at the Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin.

After obtaining his scientific degree in 1838, Peters embarked on an 18-month research trip to the neighboring states of the Mediterranean Sea, accompanied by Henry Milne-Edwards. Upon his return to Berlin, he became an assistant to Johann Peter Müller, a German physiologist and marine biologist.

With the support of Müller and Alexander von Humboldt, Peters developed plans for a large-scale research expedition to Africa. In September 1842, he set off for Angola, and in June 1843, he arrived in Mozambique. Throughout his four-year journey in Africa, he also visited Zanzibar, the Comoros Islands, and Madagascar. In South Africa, he took a break to recover from an illness contracted during the expedition.

In 1847, Peters returned to Berlin, bringing back a large collection of newly discovered animal species. He published the results of his research in four volumes titled "Naturwissenschaftliche Reise nach Mossambique" (Scientific Journey to Mozambique).

In 1847, he became an anatomist at the Berlin University Anatomy Institute, and in 1849, he became a lecturer. In 1856, he became the assistant director of the Zoological Museum of the university, under Martin Lichtenstein. After Lichtenstein's death in 1857, Peters assumed the position of director.

Under his guidance, the museum's collection expanded significantly, particularly in reptiles, which grew from 3,700 to 10,500 specimens. The collection became one of the most significant in the world, alongside those in Paris and London.

Starting in 1858, Peters also taught zoology and exerted some influence on zoological research. While acknowledging Darwin's merits, Peters remained relatively neutral towards his evolutionary theory. He combined anatomical and zoological studies in his work and published nearly 400 articles on a wide range of animal species.