Cuviers

Cuviers is a surname of French origin. In English-language usage, the standard form of the name is Cuvier, and Cuviers may appear as a plural form when referring to multiple people bearing the surname or as a historical variant in older texts.

The most prominent bearer of the name is Georges Cuvier (1769–1832), a French naturalist and zoologist who helped establish comparative anatomy and vertebrate paleontology as scientific disciplines. Cuvier argued that the fossil record preserves evidence of former life forms that have disappeared, supporting the concept of extinction and the idea that life on Earth has been affected by successive catastrophes. He developed methods of anatomical comparison to classify animals and contributed to the early development of paleontology. Among his influential works is Le Règne Animal (The Animal Kingdom), published in the early 19th century, which organized animal life by structural features and laid groundwork for modern zoology.

Félix Cuvier (often described as Georges Cuvier’s brother in historical accounts) was a French naturalist and zoologist who collaborated with and assisted Georges in various zoological and educational activities. He is associated with the broader efforts of the Cuvier circle in the Jardin des Plantes and related institutions in Paris, contributing to natural history through study and specimen description.

In contemporary usage, Cuviers is a less common variant of the surname and is rarely used as a standalone biographical identifier. The name is closely associated with the family of scientists who influenced early 19th-century biology, geology, and paleontology.