James Scott Bowerbank

British naturalist and paleontologist
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Print
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Quick Facts
Born:
July 14, 1797, London
Died:
March 8, 1877, London (aged 79)
Subjects Of Study:
sponge

James Scott Bowerbank (born July 14, 1797, London—died March 8, 1877, London) was a British naturalist and paleontologist best known for his studies of British sponges.

Bowerbank devoted much time to the study of natural history while running a family business, Bowerbank and Company, distillers, in which he was an active partner until 1847. He lectured on botany (1822–24) and human osteology (1831) and founded, with six others, the London Clay Club (1836). In 1847 he founded the Paleontographical Society as an instrument for publication of undescribed British fossils. His most important publications are A History of the Fossil Fruits and Seeds of the London Clay (1840), a standard work, and Monograph of the British Spongiadae (4 vol., 1864–82).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.