Giuseppe Seguenza

Giuseppe Seguenza (Messina, June 8, 1833 – Messina, February 3, 1889) was an Italian naturalist and geologist.

He studied as a pharmacist who had directed him also the father pharmacist (Pharmacy Seguenza still exists and is in the vicinity of the birthplace of the doctorate), gave himself to the study of geological and mineralogical sciences, from which he was drawn more.

At twenty-three he discovered that all the products of the emanations of Vulcano (one of the Aeolian Islands) contain arsenic compounds. Later he published other scientific works that earned him the attention of scholars in Europe and the silver medal at the Paris Exposition. These works ensued the chair of Professor of Natural History at the high school Maurolico, then the Technical Institute of Messina and finally had access to the professorship at the University of Messina.

Following performed other jobs around the metalliferous deposits of Fiumedinisi, land and fossils of the territory of Messina, and Calabria, which were awarded and published at his own expense by the Royal Academy of the Lincei.

Giuseppe Seguenza died at the age of 56 and his son Luigi continued his work. One of three high schools Science high schools in Messina, Liceo Scientifico G. Seguenza, is named after him. The museum of Nizza di Sicilia, whose scientific officers are professors Domenica Saccà and Carmelo Saccà, is also dedicated to him.

In 1868 he introduced the Zanclean stage to define the early part of the Pliocene. A genus of sea snails, known as Seguenzia (family Seguenziidae), is named in his honor.

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