Biography:Israel Aharoni
Israel Aharoni | |
|---|---|
ישראל אהרוני | |
| File:Israel Aharoni.jpg Israel Aharoni (1882–1946) | |
| Born | 1882 Vidzy, Kovno Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 1946 (aged 63–64) |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Alma mater | Charles University |
| Known for | Discovery and breeding of Syrian hamsters |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Zoology |
| Institutions | Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
Israel Aharoni (Hebrew: ישראל אהרוני; 1882–1946) was a zoologist in Ottoman and British Palestine widely known as the "first Hebrew zoologist."
Aharoni is best known for collecting a litter of Syrian hamsters on an expedition to Aleppo, Syria. The hamsters were bred as laboratory animals in Jerusalem, but some escaped through a hole in the floor. The majority of domestic golden hamsters are thus said to be descended from this one litter.[1]
Biography
Israel Aharoni was born in Vidzy, Kovno Governorate, Russian Empire (in present-day Belarus). His father, Avraham Yossef Aharonovich, was the Rosh yeshiva of Vidzy and died before his son Israel was born. Israel lost his mother as well when he was two years old. Being an orphan, he lived with his grandmother and studied at a Cheder and later on at the Telshe yeshiva. At the age of 13, Israel ran away from his home to Prague, where he attended school and later on continued to learn zoology at Charles University.[2]
He immigrated to Palestine in 1901, which was then under Turkish rule. His early zoological expeditions took place under the protection of the local Sultan, for whom he obtained butterfly specimens. Many of his collected specimens can still be viewed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.[3][4]
Zoology career
Aharoni discovered 30 previously unknown species of animals, insects and birds, and is credited with giving them Hebrew names.
References
- ↑ Dunn, Rob (2011-03-24). "The Untold Story of the Hamster, a.k.a Mr. Saddlebags". https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-untold-story-of-the-hamster-aka-mr-saddlebags-1223774/.
- ↑ Template:Cite Tidhar
- ↑ "אוסף זוחלים ודו-חיים | אתר אוסף זוחלים ודו-חיים". http://nnhc.huji.ac.il/reptiles-amphibians/.
- ↑ "אוסף העופות | אתר אוסף העופות". http://nnhc.huji.ac.il/birds/.
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