strongMicrobial marvelsstrong br Ernst Haeckel, the 19th-century pioneer who captured the artistic beauty of the natural world br br strongErnst Haeckelstrong 1834-1919 was a German-born biologist, naturalist, evolutionist, artist, philosopher, and doctor, who strongspent his life researching flora and fauna from the highest mountaintops to deepest ocean.strong A vociferous supporter and developer of Darwin's theories of evolution, he denounced religious dogma, abandoned an early career in medicine, authored philosophical treatises, gained a doctorate in zoology, and coined scientific terms which have passed into common usage, including ecology, phylum, and stem cell. br br Haeckel's colossal legacy has fascinated, confounded, and polarized generations. But what was at the heart of his extraordinary life's work Rather like his intellectual forebear, Alexander von Humboldt, Haeckel was motivated not only to discover but also to explain. To do this, he created stronghundreds of detailed