Paul Pelseneer

Who is Paul Pelseneer?

Jean Paul Louis Pelseneer was a Belgian malacologist, morphologist, ethologist and phylogenist.

In 1880, at the age of seventeen, Pelseneer became a member of the Belgian Malacological Society. He studied at the University of Brussels and in 1884 he obtained his doctor's degree in natural sciences. He continued his studies with the French zoologist Alfred Mathieu Giard at the marine laboratory in Wimereux, and concluded his studies with the English invertebrate zoologist Ray Lankester at University College London. Pelseneer then became a teacher of chemistry at the Normal School in Ghent. He devoted himself to zoology during his spare time, without having a laboratory at his disposal.

Pelseneer became recognized in Belgium as well as abroad as one of the most eminent zoologists of his time, but he never obtained an appointment as university professor and thus was not able to transfer his knowledge to students. The only times he could use a marine laboratory were in his spare time when he went to Lille and worked with Giard. His dissections were made using the most simple instruments, almost children's toys. He was given drawing lessons by the Belgian painter and sculptor Constantin Meunier, so that he could illustrate his scientific papers himself.