Léon Louis Vaillant ([le.ɔ̃ va.jɑ̃]; 11 November 1834 – 24 November 1914) was a French zoologist. He is most famous for his work in the areas of herpetology, malacology, and ichthyology.

Léon Vaillant
Léon Vaillant
Born(1834-11-11)11 November 1834
Died24 November 1914(1914-11-24) (aged 80)
Paris, France
NationalityFrench
Scientific career
Fields
InstitutionsMuséum national d'histoire naturelle

In 1854 he graduated from the College d'Arras, followed by studies in medicine and zoology in Paris. In 1861, he received his medical doctorate, then continued his zoological studies with Henri Milne-Edwards (1800-1885), earning his degree in natural sciences in 1865. In 1875, he became a professor at the Museum of Natural History in Paris.

He held a special interest involving the systematics and anatomy of turtles and crocodiles, but also made significant contributions in his investigations of reptilian physiology and behavior. Of his 200-plus scientific writings, 90 of them are based on herpetological subjects.[1]

He participated in French naval expeditions on the Travailleur in 1880, 1881 and 1882 and on the Talisman in 1883.

Eponyms edit

The following are several species of marine organisms named after Léon Vaillant:

  • The ribbon worm, Amphiporus vaillanti Joubin, 1902

The following are four species of reptiles named after Vaillant:

The following fish are named after Vaillant:

The following fish are possibly named after Vaillant:

Written works edit

  • Études sur les poissons, Mission scientifique au Mexique et dans l'Amérique centrale - Study of fishes. (with Marie Firmin Bocourt 1819-1904).
  • Essai sur le système pileux dans l'espèce humaine, 1861, medical dissertation.
  • Observations sur la constitution géologique de quelques terrains aux environs de Suez, 1865 - Observations on the geological constitution of terrain and environs of Suez.
  • Recherches sur la famille des Tridacnides, 1865 - Research of the family Tridacninae.
  • Note sur quelques objets océaniens empruntés au test de différents mollusques, 1868, Bulletin de la société géologique de France. - Note on a few items from the Pacific borrowed in order to test different mollusks.
  • Quelques mots sur Denys de Montfort à propos d'une brochure parue en 1815, sd Rapport sur les poissons, crustacés et mollusques, 1880, Exposition universelle de 1878, à Paris - Some comments by Pierre Denys de Montfort (1815), Report on fishes, crustaceans and mollusks.
  • Mémoire sur la disposition des vertèbrés cervicales chez les chéloniens 1880 - Memoir on the disposition of cervical vertebrae of chelonians.
  • Expéditions scientifiques du travailleur et du Talisman pendant les annees 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883. Poissons, 1888 - Scientific expeditions of the Travailleur and the Talisman during the years 1880 to 1883.
  • Histoire naturelle des annelés marins et d'eau douce, 1889-1890, Collection des Suites à Buffon - Natural history of marine and freshwater annelids; (with Jean Louis Armand de Quatrefages de Bréau 1810-1892).
  • Les tortues éteintes de l'île Rodriguez d'après les pièces conservées dans les galeries du Muséum, 1893 - Turles off of Rodrigues, in reference to conserved pieces in the museum galleries.[7]
  • Histoire naturelle des reptiles. Première partie: Crocodiles et tortues, 1910 - Natural history of reptiles. first part: crocodiles and turtles.

Taxon described by him edit

References edit

  1. ^ SSARherps Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine (biography)
  2. ^ Taxonomic Namesakes (species named after Vallaint)
  3. ^ a b c d Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Vaillant", p. 271; "Ludovic", Latin for Louis, p. 162).
  4. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order Order CICHLIFORMES: Family CICHLIDAE: Subfamily CICHLINAE (a-c)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  5. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order PERCIFORMES: Suborder COTTOIDEI: Infraorder COTTALES: Family LIPARIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  6. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order CYPRINIFORMES: Families ACHEILOGNATHIDAE, GOBIONIDAE and TANICHTHYIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  7. ^ Le cths Sociétés savantes de France (bibliography)
  8. ^ International Plant Names Index.  L.Vaill.

External links edit