Ernest Georgievich Becker (1874-1962) - Russian and Soviet entomologist , Doctor of Biological Sciences (1935), professor (1935), member of the Society of Lovers of Natural History (1898), member of the Society of Acclimatization of Animals (1901), member of the Moscow Society of Nature Testers (1924) , Secretary of the Faunistic Commission, Honorary Member of the All-Union (Russian) Entomological Society .
| Becker Ernest Georgievich | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date of Birth | August 27 ( September 8 ) 1874 |
| Place of Birth | Moscow |
| Date of death | September 27, 1962 (88 years old) |
| Place of death | Moscow |
| A country |  Russian Empire  the USSR |
| Scientific field | entomology |
| Alma mater | Moscow University (1897) |
| Famous students | Sharov A.G. |
Content
Biography
He was born on August 27 ( September 8 ), 1874 in Moscow, in the family of a tradesman. In 1886 he entered the Lazarevsky Institute of Oriental Languages . He graduated from the eight classes of the institute in 1893 and entered the natural department of the Physics and Mathematics Faculty of Moscow University . Here he listened to lectures by such outstanding scientists as the physicist A. G. Stoletov and biologists K. A. Timiryazev , I. M. Sechenov , A. P. Bogdanov and M. A. Menzbir . His immediate leader and teacher was N. Yu. Zograf , a specialist in the field of arthropod embryology. Under his leadership, Becker completed his first scientific work, which was devoted to the study of the bee Megachile maritima . During his studies, Becker's closest comrades were A.D. Nekrasov , D.P. Filatov, and V.I. Grazianov.
In 1897 he graduated from the university and spent the year doing military service. From 1898 until his death, he worked at Moscow University in various positions: a supernumerary assistant in the department of zoology of the medical faculty (1898-1906), a supernumerary assistant in the natural department of the Department of Physics and Mathematics, a full-time assistant (1914-1918), and a university lecturer ( 1918-1925), assistant and privat-docent (1926), assistant professor (1927-1935) and professor (1935-1962) in the department of entomology. Along with pedagogical work at the university, he worked as an economic assistant at the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University (1918-1930). For several years since 1899 he was Deputy Head of the Hydrobiological Station on Lake Glubokoe, founded by N. Yu. Zograf and owned by the Society for the Acclimatization of Animals and Plants.
After 1917, he worked for several years as a teacher at the Department of Zoology of the Moscow Higher Zootechnical Institute. In 1930-1933, he worked part-time at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Rubber and Gutta-percha, first as a consultant, and then as a senior specialist. In 1935, Becker was awarded the scientific degree of Doctor of Biological Sciences without defending a dissertation (decree of the Higher Attestation Commission of the National Commission for Cultural Affairs of 04.15.1935). From 1934 to 1937 he worked at the Scientific Research Institute. I.I. Mechnikov. In 1939-1941 he studied at the University of Marxism-Leninism at Moscow State University. During the evacuation of Moscow University to Ashgabat during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1943), he held the position of head of the entomology department of Moscow University.
He took part in the Russian-Japanese (in 1904) and the First World Wars (in 1914). In 1914 he was called up to the militia for the post of company commander, while retaining the position of assistant at the university. Later, as part of the militia, he was in the army on the Austrian front. He participated in the military campaign to capture the Austrian fortress Przemysl (Przemysl). Then he was transferred to the personnel department on the Turkish front, where he was a junior officer, and then the company commander and the head of the training team. As an artillery officer, he took part in the capture of the Turkish port of Trabzon (Trebizond). In December 1917, he received his resignation, and in January 1918 he returned to Moscow to the university. Prior to the October Revolution, he was assigned three ranks, including the rank of staff captain; was twice awarded orders. In the Soviet period he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor and the medal "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War" (1946).
He died on September 27, 1962 . He was buried at Vvedensky cemetery (school 19) with his daughter, also a professor at Moscow State University Zinaida Ernestovny Becker (1908-1986).
Scientific activity
He traveled to central Russia, the Urals and the Caucasus, worked at the Murmansk and Karadag biological stations, in Kazakhstan. During the years of evacuation of Moscow University (1941-1943) - conducted field research in Turkmenistan and in Sverdlovsk. In all places he collected material, mainly from lower insects.
He has published 54 major scientific works. He developed the theory of morphological evolution of tracheal breathing arthropods. Using the comparative method, I obtained important results on the morphological evolution of tracheal breathing, their diplosegmentation, systematics, faunistics, ecology and morphology of many groups of arthropods, including primary wingless insects. Among the most important works, it should be noted the work on the evolution of the external skeleton and muscles of the tracheal breathing, the evolution of their organs of movement, the evolution of the aircraft, head and external genital appendages.
He developed the first of its kind concept for the Insect Histology course, which he taught from 1945 to 1962. During his teaching career, Becker taught many special courses for students of the University’s Biological Department, Faculty of Biology and the Department of Entomology: Arthropods (1920-1928), Insect Morphology (1924-1925), and General Entomology (1926-1946) , “Comparative Anatomy of Insects” (1928-1930), “Forest Entomology” (1928-1930), “Pests of Special Cultures” (since 1930 for several years), “Phylogeny of Insects” (1943-1962), “Histology insects ”(1947-1962); led a large workshop on invertebrates, a large workshop on entomology, etc.
Monographs and textbooks
- Argiropulo A. I., Arnoldi K. V., Bey-Bienko G. Ya. Et al. Key to insects of the European part of the USSR. M.-L.: OGIZ - “Selkhozgiz”, 1948. 1128 s.
- Abrikosov G.G., Becker E.G., Birshtein Ya.A. et al. Zoology course. T.1. Invertebrates. M .: Higher School, 1966.552 s. [The first edition was published in 1935, the composition of the authors in subsequent editions (1938, 1940, 1949, 1955, 1961) changed].
- Becker E.G. Theory of the morphological evolution of insects / Ed. prof. E. S. Smirnova. M: Publishing house of Moscow University, 1966.328 s
Memory
Taxa named after Ernest Becker:
- colembol genus Beckerella Axelson, 1912 [1] ]
- Collembola Isotoma beckeri Börner, 1913 [2]
- tick Schizotetranychus beckeri Wainstein, 1958 [3]
Literature
- Matveev B. S. The history of zoological sciences at Moscow University for two hundred years (1755—1955) // Zoological journal. 1955.V. 34, no. 4, pp. 701–709.
- Makhotin A.A., Panov A.A., Becker-Migdisova E.E., Volgin V.P. Ernest Georgievich Becker and his scientific activity (1874-1962) // Becker E.G. Theory of morphological evolution of insects. Ed. prof. E. S. Smirnova. - Publishing House of Moscow University, 1966. - 328 p.
- History of Moscow University. In 2 volumes. - M.: Publishing House of Moscow State University, 1955.
Notes
- ↑ Axelson (Linnaniemi) MW Die Aptereygotenfauna Finlands. II. Spezielle Teil // Acta Soc. Sci. Fenn. 1912. Vol. 40. P. 1-139.
- ↑ Börner C. Die Familien der Collembolen // Zoologische Anzeiger. 1913. Bd. 41. S. 315—322
- ↑ Weinstein B. A. Materials on the fauna and systematics of tetranichic ticks (Acariformes, Tetranychoidea) // Entomological review. 1958.Vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 455–459