Dr Daniel Solander
Botanist Dr Daniel Solander (1733–1782) studied natural history at Uppsala University in Sweden. His principal teacher was Carl Linnaeus who had devised a classification system that placed organisms within hierarchical groups that showed their relationship to other organisms.
Dr Daniel Solander
Dr Daniel Solander (1733–1782) was a talented pupil of Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus. He joined Joseph Banks on James Cook’s first voyage to the South Pacific where they collected over 360 new plant species from New Zealand. This is from a painting by William Parry.
In 1759, Solander travelled to England, as scientists there were keen to know about Linnaeus’s system and apply it. Solander quickly settled into life in England, and in 1764, he became a member of the Royal Society. This was also the year that he met Joseph Banks.
Joseph Banks invited Daniel Solander to be part of the scientific team aboard the Endeavour on James Cook’s trip to the South Pacific. Solander’s familiarity with Linnaeus’s classification system was an advantage on this voyage of exploration.
Linnean classification system for plants
The Linnean classification system places organisms within hierarchical groups that show their relationship to other organisms.
When classifying plants, the use of either division or phylum for the second grouping is allowed under the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.
The Endeavour set sail in August 1768 and made landfall in New Zealand in October 1769. Cook and his crew circumnavigated the new land, discovering a long group of mountainous islands. While only able to explore coastal regions, Solander described and collected all manner of new species, including plants, butterflies, birds, beetles and other insects.
The value of early collections
Te Papa holds the plant collections of Sir Joseph Banks, Daniel Solander and William Colenso, 3 of New Zealand’s earliest botanists. Dr Patrick Brownsey explains the significance and value of these collections.
After returning to London, Solander and Banks became famous for their collections. Solander continued his association with Banks, working as his librarian and assistant. However, he made little progress cataloguing the expedition’s huge number of specimens. He died unexpectedly, aged 49, after a stroke.
Nature of science
Scientific investigations often bring together many people with different skills. Joseph Banks chose Daniel Solander to accompany him on the Endeavour because Solander was proficient in botanical classification. The two men were able to combine their talents to advance society’s understanding of the natural world.
