Animalia Paradoxa

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List of Paradoxa, cryptids or mythical creatures, in Carolus Linnaeus' 1735 Systema Natura. Detail from large Table. Paradoxa from Carolus Linnaeus - Systema Naturae, 1735.jpg
List of Paradoxa, cryptids or mythical creatures, in Carolus Linnaeus' 1735 Systema Natura. Detail from large Table.
Table of the Animal Kingdom ("Regnum Animale") from a facimile of the 1st edition of Systema Naturae (1735) Linnaeus - Regnum Animale (1735).png
Table of the Animal Kingdom ("Regnum Animale") from a facimile of the 1st edition of Systema Naturæ (1735)

Animalia Paradoxa [1] (Latin for "contradictory animals"; cf. paradox) are the mythical, magical or otherwise suspect animals mentioned in the first five editions of Carl Linnaeus's seminal work Systema Naturae under the header "Paradoxa". It lists fantastic creatures found in medieval bestiaries and some animals reported by explorers from abroad and explains why they are excluded from Systema Naturae. According to Swedish historian Gunnar Broberg, it was to offer a natural explanation and demystify the world of superstition. [2] Paradoxa was dropped from Linnaeus' classification system as of the 6th edition (1748). [3]

Contents

Paradoxa

These 10 taxa appear in the 1st to 5th editions:

The above 10 taxa and the 4 taxa following were in the 2nd (1740) edition and the 4th and 5th editions (total 14 entries): [9]

Table

#Animalia ParadoxaCommon nameMythical?Likely explanation or inspiration
1Hydra Lernaean Hydra Fabricated specimen (snake body with weasel teeth); [1] mythological basis in multi-headed serpents. Unrelated to the aquatic cnidarian. [6]
2Rana-Piscis Paradoxical frog Shrinks after tadpole stage; [1] misidentified due to reverse metamorphosis.
3Monoceros Unicorn Inspired by narwhal tusks; [1] myths influenced by horses and rhinos.
4Pelecanus Pelican Blood-feeding myth debunked; [1] accurate depiction of real pelicans.
5Satyrus Satyr Orangutan or ape misidentified as mythical satyr; [6] based on medieval traveler accounts.
6Borometz Vegetable Lamb of Tartary Fern root artifact shaped like a lamb; [1] derived from the tree fern.
7Phoenix Phoenix Mythical rebirth bird; allegorically linked to the Date palm; [1] inspired by Egyptian Bennu bird.
8Bernicla Barnacle Goose Medieval barnacle goose myth, linking geese to goose barnacles [8]
9Draco Dragon Jenny Haniver (taxidermied ray); [6] inspired by Flying lizards, rays, and bat-winged myths.
10Automa Mortis Deathwatch beetle Wood-boring beetle; [1] known for tapping sounds in wood.
11Manticora Manticore Persian legend hybrid of lion and porcupine; [9] mythical composite creature.
12Antilope Antelope Accurate description of real antelopes; [9] no mythical attributes.
13Lamia Lamia Mythology
14Siren Siren Manatee or dugong misidentified as mythology sirens; [9] Other possible influences: mermaid folklore, seal sightings.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 von Linné, C. (1744). Caroli Linnæi medic. & botan. in acad. Upsaliensi professoris ... Systema naturæ: In quo proponuntur naturæ regna tria secundum classes, ordines, genera & species. Sumptibus Michaelis-Antonii David. p. 102. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  2. Tore Frängsmyr; Sten Lindroth; Gunnar Eriksson; Gunnar Broberg (1983). Linnaeus, the man and his work. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. pp. 176–177. ISBN   0-7112-1841-2.
  3. Sandra Knapp (2002). "Fact and fantasy". Nature . 415 (6871): 479. Bibcode:2002Natur.415..479K. doi: 10.1038/415479a . PMID   11823837. S2CID   44480097. Also available on Scribd Archived 2012-11-04 at the Wayback Machine . Linnaeus remarked in edition 6 (as translated) as at this link: "I have come to these conclusions by personally leading my pupils on wanderings through the tangled web of nature, in order that I can spur others on to an examination and explanation of nature rather than the reiteration of perceived ideas ... I shall take exception to the tales of actors and the barkings of dogs with equal measure.".
  4. S. W. Garman (1877). "Pseudis, the paradoxical frog". The American Naturalist . 11 (10): 587–591. doi:10.1086/271961. JSTOR   2447862. S2CID   86511142.
  5. Dobson, Andy; Lafferty, Kevin D.; Kuris, Armand M.; Hechinger, Ryan F. & Jetz, Walter (2008). "Homage to Linnaeus: How many parasites? How many hosts?" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 105 (Suppl. 1): 11482–11489. Bibcode:2008PNAS..10511482D. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0803232105 . PMC   2556407 . PMID   18695218.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Carl Linnaeus, Systema naturae (1735; facsimile of the first edition), trans. M. S. J. Engel-Ledeboer and H. Engel (Nieuwkoop, Netherlands: B. de Graaf, 1964), 30. via
  7. Jan Bondeson (1999). "Spontaneous generation". The Feejee Mermaid and Other Essays in Natural and Unnatural History. Cornell University Press. pp. 193–249. ISBN   978-0-8014-3609-3.
  8. 1 2 Hulme, F.E. (1886). Myth-land. S. Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington. p. 168. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  9. 1 2 3 4 von Linné, C. (1740). Systema naturae in quo naturae regna tria: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, systematice proponuntur. Apud G. Kiesewetter. p. 66. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  10. Peter Artedi, 1738, Philosophia Ichthyologica, p. 81.