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Teaching paleontology in Croatia, history and the present stage

Education and teaching in paleontology dates back to 1874. when Gjuro Pilar (1846-1893) started the Chair of Mineralogy and Geology at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb. Thus, Gjuro Pilar (educated in Bruxelles) was the founder of paleontology, mineralogy and petrography in Croatia. In addition to his educational engagement he was also affiliated with the Geological and Paleontological Museum in Zagreb, since the museum collections and other facilities, including the personnel were shared by the University in those days. In 1893 the Chair evolved into two: Chair of Mineralogy and Petrography and Chair of Geology and Paleontology, respectively. The latter took over Dragutin Gorjanović Kramberger (1859-1936), who was educated in Zürich, München, and Tübingen. He was a dedicated paleontologist (he studied fossil molluscs, fishes and made major contribution to geology by his work on Neanderthal men in Croatia), but remained very active as a geologist with wide geological interests. Parallel for his education and research, he is remembered as the founder of the Geological Survey of the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia, and the first geological journal in Croatia.("Vijesti Geološkog Povijerenstva"). Dragutin Gorjanović Kramberger was succeeded by Ferdo Koch (1874-1935) who was educated in Zagreb, and was the head of the Chair in 1920-1929. Marijan Salopek (1883-1967), educated in Zagreb and Vienna, became the head of the Chair in 1929 and kept the position until 1955, except for the period of the WWII when the Chair was temporarily led by Fran Šuklje (1886-1949). He was a co-founder of two major geological journals ("Acta geologica" and "Paleontologia jugoslavica"). In 1947 the Faculty of Philosophy was reorganized, and the Chair of Geology and Paleontology was transformed into the Division ("Zavod") of Geology and Paleontology of the newly established Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics. Marijan Salopek expanded its staff by employing several of his students as assistants. He organized team field-works which involved his undergraduate students and assistants. Afterwards, the Division of Geology and Paleontology was headed by his former assistants Vanda Kochansky Devidé from 1955 to 1959, and Milan Herak from 1959 to 1979. Vanda Kochansky Devidé (1915-1990), educated as a biologist and geologist, made her major contribution in paleontology by the research on Upper Paleozoic fusulinids and calcareous algae, and Tertiary molluscs. She was specialized in paleontology teaching, an excellent lecturer, great enthusiast, and supervised all of contemporaneous thesis in paleontology. Her contributions to education in paleontology are numerous ; she introduced the teaching of micropaleontology and several special postgraduate courses. She was also author of two text-books in paleontology, and was the editor in-chief of geological journal "Geološki vjesnik". Milan Herak (1917-), also educated as biologist and geologist, expanded the Division even further, up to the present day staff of 4 professors and 2 associate professors. His professional carrier is marked by his very wide interests which span from calcareous algae and Triassic amonoids to karst geology and hydrogeology, and regional tectonics, during the past decade. He published two text-books on palaeobotany and general geology and stratigraphy. Ante Polšak (1930-1990) spent 9 years as the head of the Division after Herak's retirement, and completed the staff with 4 assistants. His main research were Upper Cretaceous rudists, and his major teaching was in stratigraphy which was coloured by his unique personal humour. Ivan Gušić (1938-) inherited micropaleontology teaching from late Vanda Kochansky Devidé and stratigraphy from late Ante Polšak, and he is doing his best to keep the obtained high level in teaching and research. The recent curricula in geology at the Faculty of Sciences comprise three educational branches ; geology, paleontology, and mineralogy and petrography, all with duration of nine semesters. Three courses in paleontology are compulsory to all students of geology, whereas students of paleontology have to take additional seven specialized courses. Postgraduate studies formally last four semesters and complete with defence of Master's Thesis. However, preparation of the Thesis may take several years. In addition to the Faculty of Sciences, paleontology is being taught also at the Faculty of Geology, Mining and Petroleum Engineering in Zagreb. Paleontology there relies on Ana Sokač (1933-) who spent most of her carrier working on Neogene ostracods and teaches paleontology and paleoecology. She also supervises paleoecologically oriented Thesis and is an author of two text-books on paleontology. During the past ten years these two faculties had a joint program in education of geologists which resulted with several graduate Thesis, Master's Thesis and Doctorate Thesis in paleontology, all of which are included in the figures given bellow. During the last 50 years, 105 students made their graduate Thesis in paleontology, in addition to about 250 students who made their Thesis in regional geology and stratigraphy (incorporating paleotology to some degree). In the same period, 33 post-graduate students made their Master's Thesis in paleontology, and 16 candidates obtained their Doctorates of Science with Thesis in paleontology. At present, the staff of the Division of Geology and Paleontolgy of the Faculty of Sciences comprises 5 paleotologists (from the total of 12) and 3 doctoral students in paleontology, whereas the Faculty of Geology, Mining and Petroleum Engineering hosts one paleontologist.

education; paleontology; Croatia; history;

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