- Nikolai Severtzov
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Nikolai Severtzov 
Born November 5, 1827 Died February 8, 1885 (aged 57) Nationality Russia Fields naturalist Nikolai Alekseevich Severtzov (November 5, 1827 – February 8, 1885) was a Russian explorer and naturalist.
On an expedition to the Syr Darya he was captured by bandits and freed after a month. In 1865-68 he explored the Tien Shan and Lake Issyk Kul. In 1877-78 he explored the Pamir Mountains following a route close to the current Pamir Highway as far as Lake Yashil Kul on the Ghunt River.
Severtzov wrote the Vertical and horizontal distribution of Turkestan wildlife (1873), which included the first description of a number of animals. Among them are an argali (wild sheep) subspecies later named after him Ovis ammon severtzovi. He also described many new species and subspecies of birds. The Spotted Great Rosefinch Carpodacus severtzovi is among the species named after him.
The Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow is named after his son Alexey Severtzov.
References
Robert Middleton and Huw Thomas, "Tajikistan and the High Pamirs", 2008
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