animals in Europe, such as the tulip in 1559. A number of plants and animals have been named after him.

Life

Conrad Gessner was born on 26 March 1516, in Zurich, Switzerland, the son of Ursus Gessner, a poor Zurich furrier. His early life was one of poverty and hardship, but Gessner's father realized his talents, and sent him to live with and be schooled by a great uncle, who grew and collected medicinal herbs for a living. Here the boy became familiar with many plants and their medicinal purposes

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