"We are now embarking on the second wing of our journey through the museum. This wing has been devoted to what many of you know as the 'dark ages' or middle ages. This era may sound daunting, but it actually served as an important time period for the field of science. I would like to introduce you to some first some background of the Medieval Period."
The medieval period was not well known for specific attributes to the study of zoology for a few reasons. First, zoology served no practical application, such as medicinal or other physiological observations during the time, and zoology easily fell second to the opposing study of botany (Lindberg 350). The previous studies conducted by Aristotle served as a basis for observation during the 14th and 15th centuries, so much so that there were few philosophers interested in solely the study of zoology. However, the students and followers of Aristotlian science continued to record their observations on animals.
"There are two main distinctions of the medieval time period that the study of zoology has influenced. The observation and experimentation that led to information based on natural philosophy is what is housed in this wing of the Natural History Museum. The other extreme is the bestiary, known from the Physiologus, is sometimes confused with the practical and informative branch of zoology that we know today (Lindberg 351). Just to be clear the Physiologus was a form of medieval literature that associated with a specific animal and a character trait. Pliny the Elder combined fact and fantasy for his studies of natural history (Woodruff 444). For example, the centaur and phoenix both debuted in collections and illustrations during the medieval period. Perhaps, the middle ages provided the obvious errs in using mythology and folklore to describe natural history. Therefore, in order to get all the right facts we are going to steer clear from the parables of Physiologus and stick towards the strengths of zoology, observation and experimentation. (Although, we will see some continuation of beasts in the next episode)."
 Albertus Magnus, also known as Albert the Great (1193?-1280)
Albert the Great wrote many treaties during his lifetime, of which the University of Oklahoma has images and translated English versions of his De Animalibus (1519, image at Right) in the History of Sciences Collection library.
 Albert the Great's translated version of "On animals, a medieval summa zoology" presents a continuation of Aristotle's keen observation and detailed descriptions of different genus. Pay close attention to this because Aristotle's treaty De Animalibus has the same title but they are two different books written in two different time periods. Although the original has been translated, the books written by Magnus comprise of twenty-two books with different topics related to animals and humans.
Below is the beginning (books 1-10) of the contents page so you have an idea of the topics Albert the Great studied.
Book 1: On animal and human members
First tract: the diversity of animal members Second tract: the deposition of human members Third tract: internal members Book 2: Comparison of the human and other animals Book 3: On the origin of the uniform members in animals Book 4: Bloodless marine animals Book 5: Generation of animals First tract: differences in their copulation Second tract: Sperm production and the formation of young Third tract: On the generation of viviparous walkers Book 6: The nature anatomy and generation of eggs Book 7: First tract: dispositions and life of animals Second tract: health and illnesses of animals Book 8: Animal habits Book 9: On the principles and origin of human generation First tract: on human origin from a mature seed Book 10: On impediments to generation
"I would like everyone to notice the depth of these two volumes that Albert the Great developed and recorded. For this time period, he had some very intricate detail to his works. For instance, Albert the Great cites particular animals according to their genus to each of 'their own lifestyles, their dwelling places, and their motion' (De Animalibus, book 3). He gives attention to both terrestrial and aquatic animals. Some examples of how his categorized animals reflected his ability of observation in the field, such as the lobster and sea locust had similar movements and were quite opposite of that of the squids, octopuses, and cuttlefishes or also known as the cephalopods (De Animalibus, Book 4). "
Albert the Great also witnessed different animal groups and tried to relate them based on their physiological capabilities. For example, in avarian species he specifically noticed the variation between sharp talons and hooked talons. He then directly (and maybe after watching the birds prey) conclude that they have different selections in prey and are very "ferocious." With that Albert the Great also concluded that some animals prefer to live alone or apart, and other animals prefer to live in social realms, such as dolphins and humans.
Dissection of animals (including humans) was used as a tool to understand the internal anatomy and physiological functions of organs (Lindberg 344). Albert the Great used dissection to connect behavior functions to that of internal structures. The malakye (cephalopods) had what is known as a "crop" in their stomachs, similar to that of the birds that he dissected. He found both animals used the "crop" for digestion. He also noticed the differences between male and female malakye coloration and physical appearance were due to each of their distinct behaviors.
"Albertus Magnus was one of the only natural philosophers of the late middle ages that gave the present day historians an in depth view of recorded observations during this time period. The two volume set of his detail include many diverse ideas that are today researched in their own field. Genetics, physiology, anatomy, and animal behavior are a few examples of how present day zoology and science has branched out from the foundations that Aristotle and other philosophers, such as Albert the Great have paved for us."
"Let's keep this tour going guys, we have an entire section left to see and it is full of knowledge of the early and modern understandings in zoology.
My interpretation:
The amount of detail and effort that Albert the Great input into his work was unique to his time period. Zoology had not become an official study; it served more as a pass time to many philosophers. However, Albert the great used his knowledge and detailed observations (similar to Aristotle's) to create an important work that has survived until this day. De Animalibus showed the simplistic layout of how descriptive and observational approaches of animals is important. The field of zoology progresses a step further in the next time period when more and more focus is directed to natural histories.
quote:
"Albert the Great is justly regarded as one of the outstanding forerunners of modern science in the High Middle Ages"
-Walter Wallace, foreward to De Animalibus
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References:
Primary source: Albertus, Magnus, Saint. On Animals: a medieval summa zoologica. Translated by Kenneth F. Kitchell Jr. and Michael Resnick. Baltimore: John Hopkins Press, 1999. Information: This source was found in the University of Oklahoma's History of Science Collection. It is an indepth translation of the original De Animalibus written by Albertus Magnus.
Secondary source(s): Lindberg, David. The Beginnings of Western Science; the European scientific tradition in philosophical, religious, and institutional context, 600 B.C. to A. D. 1450. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1992. Information: Lindberg's book has been a useful text throughout the semester for this course. I use it as a secondary reference and to obtain background knowledge. Woodruff, Lorande Loss. Foundations of Biology. Third Edition; MacMillan Company, 1927. Information: This is an older early edition of the basics of biology. One of the unique chapters in this book has been dedicated to the history of biological sciences depending on different time periods. *the images have direct links to their webpages, but I am also going to cite them in an image bibliography. Albertus Magnus portrait: Albertus Magnus' De Animalibus: http://hsci.ou.edu/galleries/06Medieval/AlbertusMagnus/1519/AlbertusMagnus-1519-000tp-image/
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