Félix de Azara
Encyclopedia
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
military officer, naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and engineer. He was born in Barbunales
Barbuñales
Barbuñales is a municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 116 inhabitants....
, Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
.
He first embraced a military career as an engineer, and distinguished himself in various expeditions, and rose to the rank of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in the Spanish Army
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
.
Azara was sent to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
in 1781 to settle the question of borders between the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
colonies. He remained until 1801. Before leaving South America, he sent his brother (then Spanish Ambassador at Paris) many notes and observations of a zoological nature, which Moreau de Saint-Méry published at Paris in 1801 under the title of "Essai sur l'histoire naturelle des quadrupèdes du Paraguay". In 1802 there appeared at Madrid "Apuntamientos para la Historia natural de los cuadrúpedos del Paraguay y Río de la Plata".
On his return he wrote Voyage dans l'Amerique meridionale depuis 1781 jusqu'en 1801 (1809).
A number of animals were named after him, including Aotus azarae, Azara's Agouti
Azara's Agouti
Azara's Agouti, Dasyprocta azarae, is a South American agouti species from the family Dasyproctidae. It is found in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. It is named after Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara.-Behaviour:...
Dasyprocta azarae, Azara's Grass Mouse
Azara's Grass Mouse
Akodon azarae, also known as Azara's Akodont or Azara's Grass Mouse, is a rodent species from South America. It is found from southernmost Brazil through Paraguay and Uruguay into eastern Argentina. It is named after Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara.-Literature cited:*D'Elia, G. and Pardinas, U....
Akodon azarae and Azara's Spinetail
Azara's Spinetail
Azara's Spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariidae family, named after Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara. .It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru...
Synallaxis azarae. Dorsum Azara
Dorsum Azara
Dorsum Azara is a wrinkle ridge at in Mare Serenitatis on the Moon. It is 105 km long and was named after Spanish naturalist Félix Manuel de Azara in 1976....
on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is also named after him.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
had a high regard for Azara's work (despite the latter not being a professional naturalist), and in several of his books spoke approvingly of Azara's authority.