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Nicolas Steno

Type Figure Region Denmark Time 1638–1686 Also known as Stensen、Father of Stratigraphy

Danish natural philosopher, anatomist, and geologist who formulated the law of constancy of interfacial angles and the principle of superposition, la…

Timeline

  1. 1638–1665Copenhagen · DenmarkBorn in Copenhagen, he studied medicine at the local university and later went to Leiden in the Netherlands for further study; in the 1660s he became known for research on shark teeth and muscle fibers, proposed the fiber theory of muscle contraction, and discovered the structure of the salivary gland ducts.
  2. 1666–1675Florence · TuscanyIn 1666 he went to Italy, where in Florence he proposed the law of constancy of interfacial angles; in 1669 he published 'De solido intra solidum naturaliter contento', expounding the superposition of strata, the origin of fossils, and the principle of horizontal deposition, regarded as a founding document of modern stratigraphy.
  3. 1675–1686Schwerin · MecklenburgAfter 1675 he gradually abandoned his scientific career, formally converting to Catholicism in 1677 and being ordained a priest; in 1680 he was appointed bishop of a North German diocese, devoting his late years to missionary and church affairs, and died in Schwerin in 1686.

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