Emil Racovita was a renowned Romanian biologist and explorer who is considered the founder of biospeleology, the study of underground fauna. He studied in Romania and France, obtaining his doctorate from the Sorbonne. Racovita went on an expedition to Antarctica in 1897-1899 where he researched the flora and fauna, writing studies on whales, birds, and penguins. He discovered the first cave animal with marine similarities in 1904. Racovita founded the first Speleology Institute in the world at the University of Cluj in 1919. He published the first major research paper on biospeleology in 1907 titled "Essay on Biospeleological Problems".

1. Was a great
explorer
speleologist
Romanian biologist
He is considered the founder of biobio--spespeleleologologyy (the
study of the underground fauna – caves and
groundwater)

2. Emil Racovita was born in
Iași in 1868 and he spent his
childhood in Vaslui.
He studied in Iasi and had Ion
Creanga as a teacher.
He studied Law at The University
in Paris.

3. During the same period, he attended the lectures held
by doctor Léonce Manouvrier at the Superior School of
Anthropology. He also graduated from the Science faculty in
Sorbonne and he studied for his doctorate in the
Oceanologic Laboratory in Banyuls-sur-Mer.
He was elected academician and president of the Romanian
Academy and, at only 25, he was also elected member of
the Zoological Society of France.

4. After five years of research, he
was awarded the title of
Doctor of Sciences for his public
presentation of the thesis on
the cephalic lobe of polychaete
annelids ( the most well-known
sea warms).
„Belgica” in the heart
of the ice bank.

5. Emil Racoviţă in the laboratory on board Belgica ship.

6. In 1897 he is chosen to go on an
expedition to Antarctica, on
board Belgica.
In two years, Emil Racovita
researched and experimented on
the flora and fauna and he wrote
a study on whales, birds and
penguins in Antarctica.

7. In 1904, during a visit in the famous cave Cueva del
Drach in Mallorca, he discovered a crustacean, the first
cave animal met up until then with many similarities to
the sea animals known at that time.
In 1919 he was chosen to create a research institute
and therefore the first Speleology Institude in the world
was founded in The University of Cluj.

8. Emil Racoviţă in 1921

9. Emil Racoviţă in his study in The Institutute of Speleology.

10. In 1907, he published „Essai sur les problemes
biospeologiques”, the first important research paper
on bio-speleology in the world.

11.  „Essai sur les problemes biospeologiques” (1907)
 Cétacés. Voyage du S. Y. Belgica en 1897-1899.
Résultats scientifiques. Zoologie. J. E.
Buschmann, Anvers, 1903.
 Énumération des grottes visitées, seriile 1-7.
Archives de Zoologie expérimentale et générale,
Paris, 1907-1929 (in collaboration with R.
Jeannel).
 Speleology. A new science of the old undergound
mysteries. Astra, Popular Library, Cluj, 1927.
 Evolution and its problems (1929)

12. During the expedition in Antarctica, Emil Racovita had
the opportunity to study the life of the giant sea
mammals and the penguins.
He discovered the
lipped whale.
Belgica in Antarctida.

13. Emil Racovita was a
major figure in the
scientific world and as a
recognition of his
contribution, many
schools, streets and
institutions are named
after him.
Created by IONIŢĂ Raluca