c. 1200-c. 1280

German naturalist and philosopher who wrote highly detailed accounts of plants and animals in De vegetabilibus et plantis and De animalibus. He also had an impact on scientific study overall by promoting new investigation rather than the near-complete reliance on the work and thoughts of past scholars. The latter was common practice at the time. This contribution by Albertus Magnus is often cited as a turning point in the history of science.