In the 19th century, physical anthropology (also known as biological anthropology) focussed on the study of the physiology and morphology of different human groups. In France, Ernest Hamy was a key figure in this area of ethnology. In 1877, Hamy became a member of Commission de Topographie des Gaules. In 1878, he was appointed the first curator of the musée d'ethnographie du Trocadéro in Paris.