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Curriculum Vitae

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Riesenkugler (Sphaerotheriida):

 -Einkugelung
 -Juvenilentwicklung
 -Erkennung von
  Riesenkuglern

Ergebnisse der Untersuchungen im östlichen Küstenregenwald Madagaskars

English

 

Curriculum Vitae of Thomas Wesener, PhD

 

Present Address

 

Field Museum, Zoology - Insects

1400 S. Lake Shore Drive

Chicago, IL 60605, U.S.A.

Email: twesener@uni-bonn.de

Phone: 1-312-665-7797

 

Date and Place of Birth

24 May 1980, Hattingen, Germany

 

Education

 

Language Skills: Fluent in English, Basic in French and Latin

 

Ph.D in Natural Sciences, Friedrich-Wilhelm University Bonn, Bonn, Germany; 2005–2008.

  • Thesis "Ausgezeichnet" 0.0, Kolloqium "Sehr Gut", Magna Cum Laude

'Diplom' (M.A.) in Biology, with Honour thesys: "Giant Pill-Millipedes of the Malagasy littoral forest", pp. 152, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; 1999–2004.

  • Thesis 1.0, General 1.1 Grade "Sehr Gut" (US equivalent = A)

High School Diploma, Gesamtschule Marxstraße, Hattingen, Germany, 1990–1999.

 

 

Professional Experience

 

  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Field Museum, Zoology - Insects, December 2008 – Present.

 

  • Scientific Assistant, Museum Koenig, Lower Arthropoda, August–November 2008.

 

  • Expedition Myriapodologist, Museum Koenig, 2007 Madagascar Expedition.

 

  • Laboratory Teaching Assistant, Course: Field Excursions – Ruhr-University Bochum. June 2005.

 

  • Graduate Assistant, Field Museum, February–May 2005.

 

  • Laboratory Teaching Assistant, Course: Zoological Determination – Ruhr-University Bochum. September 2004-January 2005.

 

  • Laboratory Teaching Assistant, Course: Invertebrate Morphology – Ruhr-University Bochum. September 2003-January 2004.

 

  • Laboratory Teaching Assistant, Course: Zoological Determination – Ruhr-University Bochum. September 2003-January 2004.

 

  • Expedition Myriapodologist, Ruhr-University Bochum, 2003 Madagascar Littoral Forest Expedition.

 

  • Undergraduate Research Assistant, Ruhr-University Bochum, Biology Department. August-December 2002.

 

Research Experience

 

  • Phylogeny and biogeography of the suborder Trigoniulidea, (Diplopoda: Spirobolida) – Field Museum, May 2008– Present.

 

  • Ecological specialization and systematics of the Spirobolida from Madagascar – Field Museum, January 2008–Present.

 

  • Species list of the millipedes from the Eastern Frisian Islands – Museum Koenig, January-February 2008.

 

  • Systematics and phylogeny of the millipede subfamily Spiromiminae – Museum Koenig, September 2007-June 2009.

 

  • Revision of the endemic giant Fire-Millipede genus Aphistogoniulus (Diplopoda: Spirobolida) – Museum Koenig, October 2006-May 2009.

 

  • Systematics of the first dwarfed member of the Giant Pill-Millipedes (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida – Africa Museum Tervuren, May-July 2006.

 

  • Phylogeny and biogeography of the Giant Pill-Millipedes (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida – Museum Koenig, May 2006-December 2009.

 

  • Systematics of the Giant Pill-Millipede genus Zoosphaerium Pocock, 1895 – Museum Koenig, January 2006–April 2009.

 

  • Curation and identification of Diplopoda from Madagascar and China – California Academy of Sciences, April-May 2004.

 

  • Curation and identification of Malagasy Diplopoda at the Field Museum, March-May 2004.

 

  • Redescriptions and type identification of the Giant Pill-Millipedes from Madagascar at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle Paris, February-March 2004.

 

  • Biological assessment of the millipede fauna of the SE littoral forest on Madagascar (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida) – Ruhr-University Bochum, January 2003-August 2005.

 

  • A literature review about the genera of terrestrial Isopoda. – Biology Department, Ruhr-University Bochum, August-December 2002.
  • Voluntary conservation work about the bats (Chiroptera) of Bochum, June 2001-September 2004.

 

Public Outreach

 

  • Interviewed regarding the findings of the 2003 Madagascar Expedition; articles in popular German newspapers including printed versions in National Geographic Germany, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ), Berliner Zeitung, as well as many local papers.

 

  • Interviewed regarding the findings of the 2007 Madagascar Expedition for radio programs and popular German newspapers. Printed versions of the interview were included in Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), FOCUS, Bonner Generalanzeiger, and more than 40 local newspapers. The story was also found in online media including SpiegelOnline, Weltonline, Wissenschaftonline, and numerous other websites, reaching as far as France, Turkey and Madagascar.

 

Foreign and Field Experience

 

Museum collections visited and investigated: Field Museum Chicago (USA), California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco (USA), Virginia Museum of Natural History (USA),  Zoologisches Museum Hamburg (Germany), Senckenberg Institut Frankfurt (Germany), Museum für Tierkunde Dresden (Germany), Museum Koenig Bonn (Germany), Zoology Museum Copenhagen (Denmark), Africa Museum Tervuren (Belgium), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle Paris (France), Botanical and Zoological Museum of Tsimbazaza (Madagascar)

 

Field expeditions to foreign countries: Spain, France, Italy, San Marino, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, USA, Madagascar

 

Scholarships and Grants

 

  • Alexander Koenig-Society Award – Price for best dissertation 2008, May 2009. $1500

 

  • PEET Postdoctoral Fellowship – National Science Foundation – Field Museum. December 2008

 

  • EU Synthesys Grant – FR-TAF 1166: Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle Paris, February-March 2005. $4200

 

  • Co-PI, Research Grant – DFG - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, April 2007–2009. $60,000

 

  • EU Synthesys Grant – BE-TAF 1165: Africa Museum, Tervuren, Belgium, June 2006. $3200
  • Dissertation Improvement Travel Grant – Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, February-May 2006. $6000

 

  • EU Synthesys Grant – DK-TAF 1167: Zoology Museum, Copenhagen, September-October 2005. $3000

 

  • PhD Stipend – Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, 2005-2008. $18,000/year 

 

  • PEET Travel Grant – National Science Foundation, Field Museum, March-May 2005. $9000

 

  • EU Synthesys Grant – FR-TAF 186: Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle Paris February-March 2005. $5600

 

  • PEET Travel Grant – National Science Foundation, Field Museum, January-February 2004. $5000

 

 

Publications

 

 

14. Wesener, T. & van den Spiegel, D. (2009). A first phylogenetic analysis of Giant Pill-Millipedes (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida), a new model Gondwanan taxon, with special emphasis on island gigantism. Cladistics 25: 545–573. (cover article)

 

13. Wesener, T. (2009). Diversity, Phylogeny and Biogeography of the millipedes from Madagascar [in German, title translated]. Koenigiana 3 (2): 57–66. (cover article)

 

12. Wesener, T., Enghoff, H. & P. Sierwald (2009). Review of the Spirobolida on Madagascar, with descriptions of twelve new genera, including three genera of 'Fire Millipedes' (Diplopoda). ZooKeys 19: 1–128. (Monograph)

 

11. Wesener, T. & Enghoff, H. (2009). Revision of the millipede subfamily Spiromiminae, a Malagasy group with Indian connections? (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae). Tropical Zoology 22 (1): 71–120.

 

10. Wesener, T., Enghoff , H., Hoffman, R. L., Wägele, J.-W. & P. Sierwald (2009). Revision of the endemic giant fire millipedes of Madagascar, genus Aphistogoniulus (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae). International Journal of Myriapodology 3: 15–52.

 

9. Wesener, T. (2009). Unexplored richness: discovery of 31 new species of Giant Pill-Millipedes endemic to Madagascar, with a special emphasis on microendemism (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida). Zootaxa, 2097: 1–134. (Monograph)

 

8. Wesener, T. (2008). Centipedes and Millipedes of the Eastern Frisian Islands [in German, title translated]. Flora und Fauna der ostfriesischen Inseln. R. Niedringhaus, V. Haeseler, P. Janiesch (Eds), Schriftenreihe Nationalparkverwaltung Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer 11: 135–137.

 

7. Wesener, T., Enghoff, H. & J.-W. Wägele (2008). Pachybolini – a tribe of giant Afrotropical millipedes: arguments for monophyly and the description of a new genus from Madagascar (Diplopoda: Spirobolida: Pachybolidae). Invertebrate Systematics 22: 37–53.

 

6. Wesener, T. & J.-W. Wägele (2008). The giant pill-millipedes of Madagascar: revision of the genus Zoosphaerium (Myriapoda, Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida). Zoosystema 30 (1): 5–85.

 

5. Wesener, T. & D. VandenSpiegel (2007). Microsphaerotherium ivohibiense, a new genus and species of Giant-Pill Millipedes from Madagascar (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Arthrosphaerinae). Journal of Afrotropical Zoology 3: 153–160.

 

4. Wesener, T. & Wägele, J.-W. (2007). Giant Pill-Millipedes (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida) in the Littoral Forest Fragments of Southeastern Madagascar. IN: Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation of Littoral Ecosystems in Southeastern Madagascar, Tolagnaro (Fort Dauphin). J. Ganzhorn, S. M. Goodman & M. Vincelette (eds), Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., SI/MAB Series 11, 145–151.

 

3. Wesener, T. (2006). Giant-pill millipede diversity on Madagascar (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida). Peckiana 4, 2005 [2006], 189–193.

 

2. Wesener, T. & P. Sierwald (2005a). New giant pill-millipede species from the littoral forest of Madagascar (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Zoosphaerium). Zootaxa 1097: 1–60.

 

1. Wesener, T. & P. Sierwald (2005b). The Giant Pill-Millipedes of Madagascar: Revision of the Genus Sphaeromimus, with a Review of the Morphological Terminology (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Sphaerotheriidae). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series, 56 (29): 557–599.