Alexander Moritzi
Swiss naturalist (1806-1850)
Alexander Moritzi (1806–1850) was a Swiss naturalist and early proponent of evolution.
Moritzi born in Chur, Graubünden. His Réflexions sur l'espèce en histoire naturelle, which means "Reflections on Species in Natural History," was published in 1842 and republished in 1934. This book, which contains many observations on animals and plants, advocated transmutation of species and is considered a forerunner of the theory of evolution developed by Charles Darwin. However, the book was ignored and did not make an impact like Darwin's.
Snow dock was first discovered by Moritzi in 1836 in the Swiss Alps.
In 1840, DC. ex Meisn. published Moritzia a genus of flowering plants from South America, belonging to the family Boraginaceae in Moritzi's honour.
Alexander Moritzi cooperated with the Swiss botanist Heinrich Zollinger and supported him with the issue and selling of his two series of specimens which superficially resemble exsiccatae, namely Plantae Javanicae 1843–1847 and Plantae Japonicae 1847.
Selected publications
Réflexions sur l'espèce en histoire naturelle (1842)
References
Further reading
Arnold Lang.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Alexander Moritzi” is swiss naturalist (1806-1850). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Alexander, Moritzi and Swiss, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “swiss naturalist (1806-1850)” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2614546. VIAF identifies the subject as 49989826. The Library of Congress control number is n87125393. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1806, 1850, 1842 and 1934.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Alexander Moritzi”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Alexander Moritzi primary sources, Alexander Moritzi archive and Alexander research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Alexander Moritzi”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Alexander Moritzi” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.