Benedykt Tadeusz Dybowski and Wiktor Ignacy Godlewski: ground-breaking studies of Siberian natural history in the nineteenth century

Abstract

Benedykt Tadeusz Dybowski (1833–1930) was a Polish naturalist who, in 1864, was sent into exile in Siberia after the Polish uprising of 1863–1864. In 1865, he began his environmental research near Chita and then in Darasun. In 1868–1872, with his exiled associate Wiktor Ignacy Godlewski (1831–1900) , he conducted the first limnological studies of Lake Baikal. In their work, they used an instruments, tools and traps constructed by themselves. They described the lake’s properties and many of the endemic species like amphipods that lived in the lake. They also discovered many species of molluscs and fishes new to science. Dybowski also studied the differences in the malacofauna of the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal, the ichthyofauna of the River Amur, the Ussuri and Lake Baikal, and the origin of individual species. The research in Siberia also included birds, that were collected in an innovative way. It was characteristic of Dybowski to create a series of individuals from a particular species. Based on the collected materials, he pointed out the differences or similarities in populations of species from geographically distant regions. The bird specimens thus contributed not only to knowledge of the fauna of Siberia but also to ecological and zoogeographical studies. The wide range of research and scientific discoveries of Dybowski and Godlewski became the basis for shortening their prison sentences and made it possible to return to their homeland. The collections of these naturalists – comprising thousands of specimens of sponges, crustaceans, spiders, molluscs, fishes, reptiles, birds and mammals – are still used today. The purpose of the paper is to disseminate knowledge about these naturalists, who remain well known in Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Germany, and their scientific legacy.