[Philippe-Charles Schmerling (1790-1836) reveals the antiquity of man thanks to antediluvian deposits of the Liège caves].

Abstract

Philippe-Charles Schmerling, often considered as the founder of paleontology, was undoubtedly a prominent personality in the province of Liège. The author evoques the beginning of paleontologic and prehistoric research in Wallonia through the biography and the analysis of Schmerling's works. Some of his contributions were completely disregarded, especially in the field of paleopathology where he can really be considered as a founder. Posterity will mainly retain his assertion about the contemporaneity of mankind with extinct animal species.