Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger


Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger was a German entomologist and zoologist.
Illiger was the son of a merchant in Braunschweig. He studied under the entomologist Johann Hellwig, and later worked on the zoological collections of Johann Centurius Hoffmannsegg. Illiger was professor and director of the "zoological museum" from its formation in 1810 until his death.
He was the author of , which was an overhaul of the Linnaean system. It was a major influence on the adoption of the concept of the "family". He also edited the , widely known as "Illiger's Magazine".
In 1811 he introduced the taxonomic order Proboscidea for elephants, the American mastodon and the woolly mammoth. He also described the subspecies Odobenus rosmarus divergens, commonly known as the Pacific walrus. Illiger's macaw and Illiger's saddle-back tamarin commemorate his name. The botanical genus Illigera also bears his name.

Published works