Alexander von Humboldt, baby brother to philosopher Wilhelm von Humboldt, was a scientist and explorer. His work would lay foundation to the field biogeography, which is the study of the distribution of species and organisms. Not much is known of his personal life, since he had a tendency to destroy personal letters.

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Original text: An 18th and 19th century scientist, Humboldt’s work contributed to the establishment of several disciplines within the natural sciences.