Robert Collett

Robert Collett, born on December second, eighteen forty-two, was a distinguished Norwegian zoologist, botanist, marine biologist, and naturalist. He hailed from Christiania, now known as Oslo, where he was the eldest son of Professor Peter Jonas Collett and Camilla Collett. His family lineage included notable figures such as his maternal uncles, Oscar and Henrik Wergeland, and his paternal uncle, Peter Severin Steenstrup. Collett had three younger brothers, one of whom was the renowned writer and historian, Alf Collett. Remarkably, he never married.

Collett's academic journey began at the Latin School in Lillehammer, leading him to become a fellow in zoology at the University of Oslo. In eighteen sixty-four, he took on the role of curator at the Zoological Museum in Oslo, where his dedication and expertise led to his appointment as director in eighteen eighty-two and later as a professor in eighteen eighty-five. His research primarily focused on vertebrates, especially fishes, and he was instrumental in describing numerous new species of fish, spiders, and other organisms.

Among his notable contributions to zoology is the popular book 'Norges pattedyr,' which explored the mammals of Norway. This influential work inspired Charles Elton to investigate the periodic fluctuations in animal populations, challenging the prevailing notion of a balanced ecosystem. Collett's legacy is further commemorated in the scientific names of two reptile species: Ctenotus colletti and Pseudechis colletti.