Georg Ossian Sars

thumb|Georg Ossian Sars, c. 1865

thumb|Drawing made by Sars in his book Contributions to the Knowledge of the Fresh-Water Entomostraca of New Zealand. (1894)

Prof Georg Ossian Sars HFRSE (20 April 1837 – 9 April 1927) was a Norwegian marine and freshwater biologist.

Life

Georg Ossian Sars was born on 20 April 1837 in Kinn, Norway (now part of Kinn Municipality), the son of Pastor Michael Sars and Maren Sars; the historian Ernst Sars was his elder brother, and the singer and women's skiing pioneer Eva Nansen was his younger sister. He grew up in Manger Municipality in Hordaland, where his father was the local priest. Sars' primary research focus was on crustaceans and their systematics. He described many new species in his career, including in his magnum opus, An Account of the Crustacea of Norway. He was further awarded the Linnean Medal in 1910.