ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI T o m u s 70. Budapest 1978

In memóriám Dr. András Tasnádi-Kubacska

(1902—1977)

by D . JÁNOSSY, Budapest

I n his person we lost a very diversif ied and c o l o u r f u l personal i ty , an excellent and dynamic organizer , a w e l l - k n o w n expert i n his f ie ld o f science and an ardent popu la r i ze r o f the n a t u r a l sciences. A f t e r a p r o l o n g e d illness, nevertheless, s t i l l unexpectedly A n d r á s T a s n á d i - K u b a c s k a passed away o n the 30th o f M a r c h , 1977.

H e was b o r n i n 28 th o f A p r i l , 1902, i n Budapest . H e inhe r i t ed his interest i n n a t u r a l sciences f r o m his father w h o , c o m i n g f r o m a p o o r ar t isan f a m i l y , fough t h imse l f u p t o be a teacher o f na tu ra l h i s to ry . H e comple ted his secondary schools and the un ivers i ty i n Buda­pest and i n 1926 he ob ta ined his P h . D . A l r e a d y w h i l e a student he was an assistant f r o m 1923 i n the D e p a r t m e n t o f A n a t o m y o f the P á z m á n y P é t e r U n i v e r s i t y , then f r o m 1925 i n the D e p a r t m e n t o f G e o l o g y i n the Un ive r s i t y o f E c o n o m y .

H e j o i n e d the staff o f the M i n e r a l o g i c a l and Palaeontological D e p a r t m e n t o f the H u n g a ­r i a n N a t i o n a l M u s e u m i n 1932asamuseologis t . F o l l o w i n g the separat ion o f the M i n e r a l o g i c a l and Palaeontologica l D e p a r t m e n t i n 1941 he was n o m i n a t e d d i rec tor . Between 1945 a n d 1950 he was director-general o f the H u n g a r i a n N a t u r a l H i s t o r y M u s e u m , Budapest, a n d finally he went over i n 1950 to be depar tment head i n the M u s e u m o f the H u n g a r i a n G e o l o g i ­cal Ins t i tu t e where he was act ive u n t i l 1973 when he re t i red .

I n 1942 he was president ial c o u n c i l l o r i n the H u n g a r i a n N a t i o n a l M u s e u m , between 1945 and 1950 vicepresident o f the same, i n 1950 he was superintendent o f museum collec­t ions o f n a t u r a l h i s to ry o n beha l f o f the N a t i o n a l Centre o f Museums .

I n apprec ia t ing his off ic ia l w o r k he was awarded M e d a l o f M e r i t s i n Socialist W o r k i n 1956, and M e d a l in M e r i t s in Socialist C u l t u r e i n 1966, w h i l e in the year o f 1969 he received the silver meda l o f the Order o f L a b o u r .

I n his profession he was ex t remely versatile as was his ac t iv i ty i n science p o l i c y and society. W h i l e director-general he organized the B io log ica l Ins t i tu t e at V á c r á t ó t , b r o u g h t i n t o being the A n t h r o l p o l o g i c a l D e p a r t m e n t and the B io log ica l L a b o r a t o r y engaged i n cel l research w i t h i n the frame o f the H u n g a r i a n N a t u r a l H i s t o r y M u s e u m . H e launched a series o f monographs o f w h i c h five volumes appeared, three b iog raph ica l i n nature .

I n 1943 he organized i n the H u n g a r i a n N a t u r a l H i s t o r y M u s e u m a pa laeonto logica l e x h i b i t i o n w h i c h was reconed to be the first m o d e r n na tu r a l h i s to ry e x h i b i t i o n i n o u r coun ­t r y . The p r e l i m i n a r y w o r k o f the very successful A f r i c a E x h i b i t i o n also praises his o rgan iz ing capacity.

F o r years he was president o f the N a t u r e Conserva t ion C o u n c i l , n a t i o n a l delegate o f the Society fo r the Di s semina t ion o f K n o w l e d g e , and i n the la t ter par t o f his l i fe u n t i l he became severely i l l he was act ive as a member o f the ed i to r i a l boards o f the L i fe and Science ( "Ele t és T u d o m á n y " ) , and the Jou rna l fo r N a t u r a l Sciences ( " T e r m é s z e t t u d o m á n y i K ö z l ö n y " ) . Besides o ther s imi la r funct ions i n three cycles (between 1942 and 1946, as we l l as between 1955 and 1958) he was secretary-general, vice-president and manag ing president i n the H u n g a r i a n Geolog ica l Society. H e was also vice-president o f the Society fo r N a t u r a l Sciences.

H e w r o t e several hundreds o f articles w i t h a v iew to popu la r i ze science, a n d ten books o f s im i l a r na ture . H e was a we lcome lec turer i n the r ad io a n d i n va r ious p u b l i c hal ls where he t a lked about n a t u r a l h i s to ry , concen t ra t ing his top ic m a i n l y o n pa laeonto log ica l k n o w ­ledge.

Besides p o p u l a r i z i n g science he was a very act ive research w o r k e r . 1952 he received his candidate o f science degree, w h i l e i n 1960 he was successful w i t h his academic d o c t o r a l thesis: " T h e p a l e o p a t h o l o g y o f preh is tor ic a n i m a l s " . Th i s sphere o f scientific interest was the acme o f his ac t i v i t y . H e s tar ted t o investigate this top ic i n a series o f 12 papers publ i shed between 1930 and 1938. H e w r o t e his p r i n c i p a l w o r k i n 1960 " T h e p a t h o l o g y o f preh is tor ic an ima l s " , w h i c h was subsequently revised and pub l i shed i n G e r m a n "Pa laeopa tho log ie" (Jena, 1962). Th i s w o r k closed an epoch after the p u b l i c a t i o n o f M O O D I E ' S research f o r t y years earl ier , and at the same t i m e started a new vista whose in t e rna t iona l r ecogn i t i on was significant at that t ime . The p r i n c i p a l feature o f his scientific ac t iv i ty was tha t he never remained w i t h the d r y , descript ive studies bu t he always possessed a h i g h l y abstract ap­p r o a c h needing great reconst ruct ive capaci ty especially w h e n in te rp re t ing pa laeopa tho log ica l signs, signs o f l i fe , foo t -p r in t s , and such pa r t i cu l a r aspects as the p r o p a g a t i o n o f prehis tor ic an imals . T h e results o f his invest igat ions were publ i shed d u r i n g his severe illness i n 1976. A n d he has a pos thumous w o r k pub l i shed i n 1977. T h i s last w o r k o f his a m p l y reflects the great versa t i l i ty o f his m i n d a n d the approach o f the subject-matter : every de ta i l is met ic ­u lous ly e laborated and checked, and every th ing is expla ined i n the l i gh t o f up-to-date science.

I n the focus o f his sc ience-popular iz ing ac t iv i ty n o t o n l y p a l e o b i o l o g y bu t mine ra logy and the b i o g r a p h y o f H u n g a r i a n geologists were also cu l t iva ted ( F E R E N C N O P C S A , M I K S A H A N T K E N , the " t w o " B Ö C K S : H U G Ó B Ö C K and J Á N O S B Ö C K , the " t w o " sen. a n d j u n . L A J O S

L Ó C Z Y ) . H i s style was arrest ing b o t h fo r adul ts and ch i ld r en . T h e u n d e r l y i n g feature o f his personal i ty was a great enthusiasm for serving higher

pr inc ip les . H i s enthusiasm was contagious , capt iva ted his co l l abora to r s , thus, he c o u l d solve sometimes apparen t ly impossible tasks. H e accepted no ba r r i e r either i n m o n e t a r y o r i n technical matters . A t the same t ime his he lp ing hand , especially towards the y o u t h , was ever ready.

T h e m e m o r y o f A N D R Á S T A S N Á D I - K U B A C S K A is preserved w i t h reverence b o t h as an o r i g i n a l research w o r k e r and as a c o l o u r f u l , p r o f o u n d l y h u m a n i t a r i a n personal i ty .

List of selected publications of Dr. A . Tasnádi-Kubacska

1925: Adatok a Nagyszá l kö rnyékének geológiá jához. Daten zur Geologie der Umgebung des Nagy­szál. — Földtani Közlöny, 55: 150-161, 327-332.

1926: A z ember egykori jelenlétét j e lző leletek a so lymár i sz iklaüregből . Die Anwesenheit des Men­schen andeutende Funde in der So lymáre r Spa l thöh le . — Barlangkutatás. Höhlenforschung, 14-15:1-3,82-83.

1927: Der p le is tozäne Knochenfund der So lymáre r Felspalte. — Barlangkutatás. Höhlenforschung, 14-15: 1-63.

1927: A solymár i sz ik laüreg pleisztocén csontlelete. — Barlangvilág, 1: 17-26. 1928: Die Grundlagen der Literatur über Ungarns Vertebraten. Pa läon to log ie . —• Hefte des Colle­

gium Hangar icunx in Wien, 4: 1-92. 1929: Őslénytani megfigyelések h a z á n k b ó l a X V I I I . század elejéről. Pa läonto log ische Beobachtun­

gen aus Ungarn zu Beginn des X V I I I . Jahrhunderts. — Földtani Közlöny, 58: 130-133,235-238. 1929: A z ősgerinces m a r a d v á n y o k k u t a t á s á n a k megindulása h a z á n k b a n . — Debreceni Szemle,

p. 1-10. 1929: H a z á n k bar langja iból ismeretes ősgerinces m a r a d v á n y o k és ku t a t á suk tör téne te . — Acta

Biologica, (Szeged), 1: 115-206. 1929: Szemelvények a barlangok régi magyar i roda lmábó l . — Természettudományi Közlöny,

6 1 : 74-79.

D r . András T a s n á d i - K u b a c s k a (1902-1977)

1929: Láncraver t ő s m a r a d v á n y o k . — Termeszeit. Közi, 61: 645-652. 1930: A magyar irodalom legrégibb adatai az ősé le t tudomány köréből . Die äl testen Angaben i n der

ungarischen Literatur aus dem Bereich der Paläobiologie . — Acta Biologica (Szeged), 1: 276-285.

1930: Te rmésze t t udomány i M ú z e u m az egyetemen. — Debreceni Szemle, p . 1-9. 1930: Pathologische Untersuchungen an ungar ländischen Versteinerungen. I . Die älteste p a l ä o -

pathologische Aufzeichnung ungar ländischer Funde. — Palaeobiologica, 3: 365-370. 1930: Álkövüle tek . — Természeti. Közi., 62: 141-147. 1932: A barlangi medve peniscsontja a pa laeol i th-ősember ha szná l a t ában . — Acta Biologica Szeged,

2:135-140. 1932: Paleobiologiai vizsgálatok Magya ro r szág ró l . Paläobiologische Untersuchungen aus Ungarn.

— Geol. Hung., ser. Palaeontologia, 8: 1-65. 1933: Pathologische Untersuchungen an ungas ländischen Versteinerungen. I I . Geheilte Frakturen

an Penisknochen des H ö h l e n b ä r e n . — Palaeobiologica, 5:159-168. 1934: Patológia i vizsgálatok magyarország i barlangi medvék k o p o n y á j á n . Pathologische Unter­

suchungen an Höh lenbä renschäde ln in Ungarn. — Mat hem. Naturw. Anzeiger Ung. Akad., 52:691-712.

1934: Pathologische Untersuchungen an ungar länd ischen Versteinerungen. I V . Erkrankungen der Wirbe lsäule des Ursus spelaeus Ros. —• Ann. Hist.-nat. Mus. Nat. Hung., 28: 197-228.

1934: Pathologische Untersuchungen an ungarn länd i schen Versteinerungen. V . Kieferknochen-Erkrankungen und Anomalien der Z ä h n e bei dem H ö h l e n b ä r e n . —• Mat hem. Naturw. Anzei­ger Ung. Akad., 52: 692-712.

1 9 3 5 : Pathologische Untersuchungen an ungar länd ischen Versteinerungen. V I I I . Einige Beispiele für die Pa läopa tho log ie der Ex t r emi t ä t enknochen . — Ann. Hist.-nat. Mus. Nat. Hung., 29: 1 - 8 .

1 9 3 5 : A Nemzeti M ú z e u m új ős lénytani kiál l í tása. — Természettud. Köz!., 67: 1 6 3 - 1 6 7 . 1 9 3 5 : Betegségek évmil l iókkal ezelőtt . — Természettud. Közi., 67: 5 5 8 - 5 6 6 . 1 9 3 5 : Die Mollusken- und Wirbeltierfauna des Pl i s tozän und Ober -P l iozän von G o m b a s z ö g .

— Ann. Hist.-nat. Mus. Nat. Hung., 29: 9 - 2 0 (Mi ta rb . : L . Soós) . 1935 : A pa leopa to lóg ia útja és célja. Wesen und Wegen der Palaeopathologie. •— Debreceni Szemle,

p. 1 7 1 - 1 7 7 . 1 9 3 6 : Pathologische Untersuchungen an ungar l änd i schen Versteinerungen. I X . Phylogenetisch

bedeutungsvolle Kampfspuren bei ausgestorben Wirbeltieren. — Mathem. Naturwiss. An­zeiger Ung. Akad., 5 4 : 9 7 9 - 9 9 0 .

1 9 3 6 : Portunus oligocenicus Pauca aus Ungarn. — Ann. Hist.-nat. Mus. Nat. Hung., 30: 1 1 6 - 1 1 7 . 1 9 3 6 : Pathologische Untersuchungen an ungar ländischen Versteinerungen. X . Slussmitteilung über

pathologische Untersuchungen an ungar länd ischen Versteinerungen. — Ann. Hist.-nat. Mus. Nat. Hung., 30: 1 1 8 - 1 5 0 .

1 9 3 6 : Verletzungen an Schädeln ple is tozäne Raubtiere. — Paläont. Zeitschr., 18: 9 5 -3 9 3 6 : Ifjabb Plinius levelei a Vezúv ki töréséről . — Természettud. Közi., 68: 7 0 - 7 7 . 1 9 3 6 : Fosszilis to jások: — Természettud. Közi., 6 8 : 4 6 4 - 4 7 2 . 1 9 3 6 : Kétszájú csigák. — Természettud. Közi., 68: 6 5 8 - 6 6 1 . 1 9 3 7 : Te rmésze t tudomány i tévhitek és balí téletek. — Természettud. Közi., 69: 3 3 - 3 5 . 1 9 3 7 : B á r ó Nopcsa Ferenc kalandos élete. — Budapest, Frankl in Társu la t , p . 1 - 1 4 3 . 1 9 3 8 : Pathologisch veränder te Metapodien und Phalangen ple is tozäner Raubtiere. — Palaeobio­

logica, 6 : 2 1 3 - 2 2 9 . 1 9 3 8 : Leonardo da Vinci földtani megfigyelései. — Természettud. Közi., 70: 4 9 5 - 4 9 8 . 1 9 3 8 : Őslények m a r a d v á n y a i a délkaliforniai aszfa l tmocsárban . — Természettud. Közi., 70: 6 8 8 - 6 9 6 . 1 9 3 9 : Tr i lophodon angustidens Cuv. forma praetypica k o p o n y a m a r a d v á n y a Zagyvapál fa lváró l .

Ein primit iver Ver t rä te r des Formenkreises Tr i lophodon angustidens Cuv. aus Ungarn — Ann. Hist.-nat. Mus. Nat. Hung., 32: 1 5 4 - 1 6 4 . :

1 9 3 9 : A m o n d á k állatvilága. — Budapest, Természe t tud . Társ . Kiad . , p . 1 - 3 7 2 . 1 9 4 0 : Új ős lénytani kiál l í tás a Nemzeti M ú z e u m b a n . — Természettud. Köz!., 72: 4 4 3 - 4 4 7 . 1 9 4 3 : D ie neue pa läon to log i sche Ausstellung des Ungarischen Nationalmuseums. — Földtani

Közlöny, 73: 2 7 4 - 2 8 1 . 1 9 4 4 : Der na tü r l i che Schäde lhöhlenausguss eines Mammuts aus Tata. — Ann. Hist.-nat. Mus. Nat.

Hung., 37: 3 3 - 3 9 . 1 9 4 4 : Jégkorszaki ló átmeszesedet t nyelve és agya. — Földtani Értesítő, 9: 5 0 - 5 4 . 1 9 5 5 . Untersuchungen an pathologisch veränder ten Knochenresten verschiedener Wirbeltiere aus

der H ö h l e von Is tá l lóskő. — Acta Archaeol. Acacl. Sei. Hung., 5: 1 9 3 - 2 1 0 . 1 9 5 5 : Der Penisknochen des H ö h l e n b ä r e n . — Acta Veterinaria Acacl. Sei. Hung., 5: 3 9 - 6 0 . 1 9 5 6 : Ki ta ibel Pál , a magyar föld felfedezője. — M. T. A. Biol. Csop. Közi, 2: 1 1 3 - 1 2 1 . I 9 6 0 : A z ősá l la tok patológiá ja . — Budapest, Medicina, p. 1 - 2 3 0 . 1 9 6 2 : Pa läopa tho log ie . Pathologie der vorzeitlichen Tiere. Pa läopa tho log ie , Bd. I . — Jena, V E B G .

Fischer, p. 1 - 2 6 9 . 1 9 6 4 : Present state and progress of paleopathology. •— Acta Geologica (Budapest), 8: 1 9 3 - 2 0 1 . 1 9 6 7 : Fö ld tan i természetvédelmi területeink helyzete és a további feladatok ezen a téren. — M. T.A.

Földtani Int. Rotapr., p . 1 - 8 5 (Mi ta rb . J. F Ü L Ö P ) . 1 9 7 0 : Száz éves a F ö l d t a n i K ö z l ö n y . The 1 0 0 years o f the Bulletin o f the Hungarian Geological

Society. —Földtani Közlöny, 100: 3 - 1 0 . 1 9 7 4 : Lóczy Lajos. — Budapest, A k a d é m i a i K i a d ó , p. 1 - 1 4 9 . 1 9 7 6 : A z ipo ly ta rnóc i l ábnyomos h o m o k k ő ősé le tnyomai . Traces o f prehistoric life in the sand­

stone wi th footprints at I p o l y t a r n ó c village (N-Hungary) . — Magy. Áll. Földt. hú. Évi Jelen­tése, 1 9 7 4 év rő l : 7 7 - 9 4 .

1 9 7 7 : Expedíc ió az időben. (Expedition in time.) — Budapest, Gondolat K i a d ó , p. 1 - 1 2 3 .

Author's address: D R . DÉNES JÁNOSSY Geological and Palaeontological Department Hungarian Natural History Museum H-1370 Budapest, pf. 330, Múzeum körú t 14-16. Hungary