Turner, Charles Henry

1867-1923 · Contribution: 1890s-1922

Zoologist and comparative psychologist

Pioneering research in zoology, entomology, and comparative psychology, the study of insect behavior and cognition; demonstrated that insects can hear and distinguish pitch, that bees perceive color and visual patterns, and that insects (e.g., cockroaches) can learn from experience

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Born: 1867, Cincinnati, Ohio
Active since: 1892
Category: Science & Medicine
Best known for: Founding the study of insect cognition

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Turner overturned the assumption that insects act purely on instinct, proving they can learn, foundational work in the study of animal behavior and cognition.

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