Otto Bütschli

Johann Adam Otto Bütschli (3 May 1848 – 2 February 1920) was a German zoologist and professor at the University of Heidelberg. He specialized in invertebrates and insect development. Many of the groups of protists were first recognized by him.

Otto Bütschli
Otto Bütschli in 1916
Born	(1848-05-03)3 May 1848 Frankfurt, German Confederation
Died	2 February 1920(1920-02-02) (aged 71) Heidelberg, Germany
Education	University of Heidelberg
Known for	Recognizing the structures now known as chromosomes
Awards	Linnean Medal (1914)
Scientific career
Fields	Invertebrate zoology
Institutions	University of Kiel, University of Heidelberg
Doctoral advisor	Rudolf Leuckart
Doctoral students	Wladimir Schewiakoff Richard Goldschmidt
Author abbrev. (botany)	Buetschli

He was the first scientist to recognize the structures now known as chromosomes.^[1]

Life

Bütschli was born in Frankfurt am Main. He studied mineralogy, chemistry, and paleontology in Karlsruhe and became assistant of Karl Alfred von Zittel (geology and paleontology). He moved to Heidelberg in 1866 and worked with Robert Bunsen (chemistry). He received his PhD from the University of Heidelberg in 1868, after passing examinations in geology, paleontology, and zoology. He joined Rudolf Leuckart at the University of Leipzig in 1869. After leaving his studies to serve as an officer in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), Bütschli worked in his private laboratory and then for two years (1873–1874) with Karl Möbius at the University of Kiel. After that, he worked privately. In 1876, he made Habilitation. He became professor at the University of Heidelberg, as successor of Alexander Pagenstecher, in 1878. He held this position for over 40 years.^[1]