People from Avignon

Albert Jean Baptiste Marie Vayssière (8 July 1854, Avignon – 13 January 1942, Marseille) was a French scientist, a biologist, specifically a malacologist and entomologist, i.e. someone who studies mollusks, and insects. Within the Mollusca, Vayssière specialized in sea slugs and bubble snails, i.e. marine opisthobranch gastropods. He made significant contributions towards a better understanding of the general biology, phylogenetic relationships, biogeography and ecological distribution of the group.From 1873 to 1883, Vayssière served as a préparateur to the Faculté des Sciences at Marseille, where afterwards he was maître de conférences (lecturer). He later served as a professor of zoology, and in 1915 he was appointed director of the Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Marseille.Vayssière was also interested in entomology, in particular, the field of agricultural entomology.

Yves Delage (13 May 1854 – 7 October 1920) was a French zoologist known for his work into invertebrate physiology and anatomy. He also discovered the function of the semicircular canals in the inner ear. He is also famous for noting and preparing a speech on the Turin Shroud, arguing in favour of its authenticity. Delage estimated the probability that the image on the shroud was not caused by the body of Jesus Christ as 1 in 10 billion.