Giovanni Serafino Volta

Giovanni Serafino Volta (1764–1842) was an Italian priest, naturalist, and palaeontologist, best known for his studies of fossil fish from Monte Bolca.
Volta was an "Abate" (or abbot) and theologian. He was a Canon of the Imperial Basilica in Mantua and the curator of the natural history department at the University of Pavia.
He wrote "Ittiolitologia Veronese del Museo Bozziano ora annesso a quello del Conte Giovambattista Gazola e di altri gabinetti di fossili Veronesi con la versione Latina", published at Verona between 1796 and 1809. Illustrated with 76 fine plates this is the first treatise on fossil ichthyology in Italy and describes 123 species of fossil fish from the fossil site of Monte Bolca.
With Louis Agassiz he also wrote "Revue critique des poissons fossiles figurés dans l'Ittiolitologia veronesé" (Neuchatel, 1835).
Most other widely known works include: