Ehrenberg, Christian Gottfried

Ehrenberg, Christian Gottfried

(born April 19, 1795, Delitzsch, Saxony—died June 27, 1876, Berlin, Ger.) German biologist, explorer, and founder of micropaleontology (the study of fossil microorganisms). He received his M.D. from the University of Berlin. He identified and classified a number of land and marine plants, animals, and microorganisms. He proved that fungi come from spores and demonstrated the sexual reproduction of molds and mushrooms. He was the first to study coral in detail, and he identified planktonic microorganisms as the cause of phosphorescence in the sea. He advanced the view (opposed by Felix Dujardin) that all animals, including the tiniest, possess complete organ systems. Arguing that a single “ideal type” may be applied to all animals, he worked toward a comprehensive system of classification.