Samuel George Morton

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Samuel George Morton

Samuel George Morton (pronounced: /ˈsæm.juː.əl dʒɔːrdʒ ˈmɔːr.tən/; 1799 – 1851) was an American physician and natural scientist. Morton, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a significant figure in the history of Anthropology and Cranial Anthropometry.

Etymology

The name Samuel is of Hebrew origin, meaning "God has heard". George is of Greek origin, meaning "farmer". Morton is an English surname, derived from the Old English 'mor', meaning 'marsh', and 'tun', meaning 'enclosure' or 'settlement'.

Biography

Morton was one of the pioneers in the development of American Science, particularly in the field of Anthropology. He is known for his work in Cranial Anthropometry, which is the measurement of human skulls. He collected and studied hundreds of human skulls from around the world and was one of the first to attempt to classify them racially.

Morton's work was controversial, as it was used by others to justify Scientific Racism, a pseudoscientific belief in the superiority of certain races over others. Despite this, his contributions to Anthropology and Cranial Anthropometry are still recognized today.

Related Terms

  • Anthropology: The scientific study of humans, human behavior and societies in the past and present.
  • Cranial Anthropometry: The measurement of the bones of the skull and the study of its variations.
  • Scientific Racism: The pseudoscientific belief that empirical evidence exists to support or justify racism, racial inferiority, or racial superiority.

See Also

External links

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