author
P. Martin (Peter Martin) Duncan
1821–1891
A Victorian scientist with a gift for explaining the natural world, he wrote about great discoverers while building a serious career in paleontology and geology. His work centered on fossil corals and other ancient marine life, helping readers and researchers alike see deep time more clearly.
1 Audiobook
Heroes of science : Botanists, zoologists, and geologists
by P. Martin (Peter Martin) Duncan
About the author
Born at Twickenham on April 20, 1821, Peter Martin Duncan trained first in medicine at King's College London and became an M.B. of the University of London. Although medically qualified, he is best remembered as an English paleontologist and geologist whose research focused especially on fossil corals, echinoderms, and other extinct marine invertebrates.
Duncan combined scientific work with teaching and public writing. He served as Professor of Geology at King's College London and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. Alongside his specialist research, he wrote accessible books for general readers, including Heroes of Science: Botanists, Zoologists, and Geologists, reflecting his talent for turning scientific history into lively narrative.
He died on May 28, 1891. Today he stands out as one of those 19th-century writers who moved comfortably between expert science and popular explanation, making the story of nature feel both rigorous and inviting.