Carolus Linnaeus

1707-1778

Swedish Physician and Botanist

Carolus Linnaeus established the system of binomial nomenclature and a taxonomical hierarchy in the 1700s. Roundly acclaimed asthe first successful attempt to classify and name living things, the system continues as the taxonomical system used today. Under this system, animals and plants have unique and universally accepted two-part names: the generic (or genus) name and the specific (or species) name. Linnaeus also designated higher levels of organization, such as classes and orders, to further organize the animals and plants into groupings that are useful for identification and study purposes.

Linnaeus was born Carl von Linné in Råshult, Sweden, on May 23, 1707. He became interested in botany at an early age. His father, Nils Linné (originally Nils Ingemarsson), had hoped his son would follow in his professional footsteps and become a pastor, but instead the young man showed more curiosity toward his father's hobby of gardening. Never an outstanding student, Linnaeus continued with his studies, eventually entering medical school at the University of Lund in 1727, but transferring a year later to the University of Uppsala, where he received encouragement to pursue his interests in botany.

By 1730, Linnaeus took an appointment as lecturer at Uppsala, and in 1732 went to Lapland to conduct a survey of its Arctic plants and animals. He wrote detailed accounts during his five-month survey and followed it with the publication of Flora Lapponica in 1737.

After his Lapland survey, Linnaeus accepted invitations to present lectures and to conduct other surveys. During this time, he also began work on a classification system for plants. At first he sorted and named the plants by the numbers of their floral parts, but soon began giving each two names: the first for the plant's genus and the second for its species. The genus name allowed him to indicate which plants were very closely related, and the species name gave each plant its own identity. Under this system, for example, the common butterwort has the name Pinguicula vulgaris. The genus name is Pinguicula, which derives from the Latin word for "somewhat fatty" and refers to the greasy feel of the leaves. The species name of vulgaris indicates that the plant is consideered a common organism.

Linnaeus published a short work, called Systema naturae, on his binomial classification system in 1735, the same year he received a medical degree from the University of Harderwijk in Holland. At that time, scientists often sought the medical degree as a professional title and indication of societal status rather than as a means solely to practice medicine. To obtain the degree, Linnaeus spent just enough time at the university to pass examinations, and present and defend his thesis.

Within four years, he moved to Stockholm and married Sara Moraea, whom he had met while on a survey in 1734. In 1741, his life took another turn when he accepted a position as professor of botany at Uppsala. Nearly 190 of his students went on to defend dissertations. In addition to his duties as Uppsala, he accepted appointment as chief royal physician in 1747 and knighthood in 1758.

He also continued to refine his classification system for living things, and in 1758 published his most influential work, the 10th edition of Systema naturae. Although many zoologists had begun to employ his classification system, it was only in the twentieth century that they agreed to name it and the publication the official origination of scientific nomenclature for animals. Botanists did the same with Linnaeus' 1753 publication of Species plantarum. With these declarations, all namings of plants and animals became official beginning in 1753 and 1758, respectively. Linnaeus named many plants and animals in the two publications, and those names remain today.

Linnaeus, who reverted to his original name of Carl von Linné after the publication of Systema naturae, continued his work until his retirement in 1776. He survived a stroke in 1774, but a second in 1778 led to his death on January 10, 1778. He is buried in Uppsala. To honor his scientific contributions, the Linnaean Society in London was founded in 1788.

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