The Study of Life Trivia Quiz

Answer: Aristotle

Aristotle was an Ancient Greek philosopher. He also studied plant and animal samples sent to him by the armies of Alexander the Great. He founded the Lyceum (school) which housed many exotic gardens. The records of his observations are considered by many scholars to be indicative of the first rigorous biological studies.

Answer: Jacques Cousteau

Jacques Cousteau (1910-1997) was one of the world's foremost authorities on oceanography. This French naval officer, photographer, and conservationist, who helped invent SCUBA, made numerous movies and wrote several novels. He co-authored "The Silent World" in 1953, which was made into an Academy Award-winning documentary film in 1956. Cousteau and his studies opened up the wonders of the undersea world to those on the terrestrial world, who were, by and large, ignorant of what was going on in the aquatic part of the planet.

Answer: John James Audubon

When it was released, this book by John James Audubon (1785-1851) was considered by many to be the greatest work on ornithology ever completed. Audubon was responsible for the identification of at least 25 new species as well as numerous subspecies. His avian artwork is considered among the finest in the world. His ability to combine science and art may be unequaled.

Answer: Botany

George Washington Carver was one of America's greatest scientists. A botanist, inventor and educator, Carver was born into slavery and died during WWII. An exceptional man, he based most of his research on crops such as peanuts, soybeans and cotton. He developed over 100 products from the peanut alone.

He was important in the development of plastics, cosmetics, gasoline, dyes and nitroglycerin. He was a true Renaissance Man.

Answer: Herpetologist

Australian wildlife expert Steve Irwin, also known as "The Crocodile Hunter" would have been considered a herpetologist, also known as an expert in the study of reptiles and amphibians. There is much to study in this field as there are over 6,500 species of amphibians and over 9,000 species of reptiles.

These animal groups affect the global ecology in a myriad of ways. Steve Irwin tried, in his own special way, to make these animals more interesting and less fearsome to the world. He tried to show the world the importance of these species, and the necessity of keeping their populations safe and healthy.

Answer: Paleontology

The Bone Wars refers to the period at the end of the 19th century when the study of fossils and ancient life forms was born. These two men were among the first paleontologists and among the most gifted in the field. Their bitter rivalry led to behaviors such as bribery, theft and slander.

There are even instances when they destroyed the fossils of their opponent in an effort to secure funding for themselves. Their narcissistic behavior led to a very rough start for this field of biology.

Answer: Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek

Trained as a lens grinder, Dutchman Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is considered by many to be the father of the biological science known as microbiology. With his own special lens he was the first to see and describe the tiny organisms invisible to the human eye.

He called his discoveries "animalcules". He is also known for his improvement of the microscope, his observations on blood flow, and his papers describing the anatomy of the bee.

Answer: Fish

Bleeker was an eminent ichthyologist famous for his huge collection of fish which he acquired from the waters around East Asia. Bleeker was also a physician, but every moment he had away from paid job was spent studying and collecting the unique species of fish in the waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

In 1860 he published his "Atlas Ichthyologique" which was, at the the time, the most comprehensive book on this biological science. It consisted of over 36 volumes complete with over 1,500 illustrations.

Answer: False

This is completely false. William Harvey (1578-1657) studied hemodynamics. His studies were on the circulatory system of the human which falls under anatomy, hematology and medicine. He was the first person to describe in detail how the heart, veins, and arteries worked. Medicine and all its specialties fall under the broad science of biology. Astrology is a belief system as opposed to a science.

Answer: Primatology

Known for her in-depth study of chimpanzees, Jane Goodall (b.1934) is a pioneer in the field of primatology. It is a specialty in the field of zoology that deals specifically with primates. Her multi-decade study of Tanzanian chimpanzees led to many discoveries about these close relatives of humans. She has also worked extensively on ecology, anthropology, and conservation issues.