Manfred Reichel (8 July 1896 – 21 November 1984) was a Swiss micropaleontologist, zoologist, and scientific illustrator. He is best known for his work on the morphology of foraminiferans, particularly alveolinids, and for his detailed paleontological illustrations.
Life and Career
Reichel was born on 8 July 1896 in Thielle-Wavre (now part of La Tène), Switzerland. He was trained in zoology and later specialized in micropaleontology. In 1940, he became the first professor of paleontology at the University of Basel, where he taught for nearly forty years until his retirement in 1966. Among his students was the noted micropaleontologist Lukas Hottinger. Reichel died on 21 November 1984 in Riehen, Switzerland, after an extended hospitalization.
Scientific Contributions
Reichel is primarily recognized for his detailed morphological analyses of larger foraminifera, especially the alveolinids. His work transformed two-dimensional observations into precise three-dimensional models of foraminiferal internal structures, which remain referenced in the field. His type and reference collections are deposited at the Natural History Museum in Basel.
Beyond micropaleontology, Reichel had a keen interest in the flight mechanics of birds, pterosaurs, and bats, and published several papers on these subjects. He also translated Alfred Wegener's book on the origin of continents into French.
Artistic Work
Reichel was an accomplished artist whose heavily detailed pen-and-ink style lent itself well to illustrating complex foraminiferal structures. He also produced lifelike illustrations of pterosaurs and the early bird Archaeopteryx. His Archaeopteryx illustrations, first published in 1941 in the journal Nos Oiseaux, are still regarded as highly accurate by modern standards.
