Frisch, Karl von (1886-1982), an Austrian zoologist, was a pioneer in the field of animal behavior. Frisch and two naturalists—Konrad Lorenz of Austria and Nikolaas Tinbergen, who was born in the Netherlands—won the 1973 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.
Frisch’s best-known work dealt with the communication system of bees. He discovered that bees “dance” in certain patterns to tell members of their hive where to find food. These patterns can indicate the distance and direction of food from the hive (see Bee (Swarming) (Finding food)). Frisch also showed that fish can see colors. Scientists had previously thought fish were color-blind.
Frisch was born in Vienna. He studied at the Universities of Munich and Vienna and received a Ph.D. degree from the latter institution in 1910. From 1910 to 1958, he taught at several European universities. Frisch wrote many books, including Bees: Their Vision, Chemical Senses, and Language (1971) and A Biologist Remembers (1967), an autobiography.
