Leo Brongersma, Date of Birth, Date of Death

Leo Brongersma

Dutch herpatologist

Date of Birth: 17-May-1907

Date of Death: 24-Jul-1994

Profession: zoologist, curator, biologist, university teacher

Nationality: Kingdom of the Netherlands

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Leo Daniel Brongersma (17 May 1907 in Bloemendaal, North Holland – 24 July 1994 in Leiden) was a Dutch zoologist, herpetologist, author, and lecturer. Brongersma was born in Bloemendaal, North Holland, and earned his PhD at the University of Amsterdam in 1934.
He was probably best known for his scientific paper, "European Atlantic Turtles", which was published in 1972, but he also served as the director of the Natural History Museum, Leiden and lectured at Leiden University until he retired at age 65.
In the 1950s he led several expeditions to collect zoological specimens in New Guinea.
He described many new reptile species from the Indo-Australian Archipelago and New Guinea.
He was also a Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1952 and an Honorary Foreign Member of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.
He died at his home in Leiden in 1994.