Thomas Wesener - Curriculum Vitae

Languages: German (mother tongue); English (spoken and written fluently); Latin (only written), French (spoken: basic level, adequate reading skills)

Education

Postdoctoral Researcher, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, U.S.A., 2008–2010, Molecular Phylogeny of the millipede suborder Trigoniulidea.

Ph.D in Natural Sciences, Friedrich-Wilhelm University Bonn, Bonn, Germany; 2005–2008. Thesis 'ausgezeichnet' (0.0), Defense Magna cum Laude.

'Diplom' (M.A.) in Biology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; 1999–2003. With Honors Thesis, Final Grade 'sehr gut'.

High School Diploma, Gesamtschule Marxstraße, Hattingen, Germany, 1990–1999. Top 95% of class.

International Collaborators (ongoing projects only)

Prof. Dr. Henrik Enghoff, University and Museum of Zoology, Copenhagen, Denmark, Phylogeny of the Spirobolida suborder Trigoniulidea.

Dr. Markus Koch, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhem University, Bonn, Germany, Discovery of a condylus in millipedes, - a new character complex for arthropod systematics (Diplopoda, Pentazonia)

Dr. Frank Glaw, Bavarian State Collections, Munich, Germany, A Firemillipede - Snake mimicry ring on Madagascar.

Dr. Michael J. Raupach, Senckenberg at the Sea, German Center for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany, DNA barcodes and description of new species of the Malagasy Giant Pill-Millipede genus Sphaeromimus (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Arthrosphaeridae).

Dr. Petra Sierwald, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., Sphaerotheriida and Glomerida species and genus catalogue.

Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira, University of Lavras, Invertebrados Cavernícolas, Lavras, Brazil, Description of Cave Millipedes.

Nattarin Wongthamwanich, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand, Giant Pill-Millipedes of the family Zephroniidae in Thailand.

Public Outreach & Service to the Scientific Community

- Reviewer for: Zootaxa, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, New Zealand Journal of Zoology, International Journal of Myriapodology, Frontiers in Zoology, Terrestrial Arthropod Review, Zookeys, Invertebrate Systematics.

- Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) Curator for Millipedes (Diplopoda).

- Interviews about 'How to uncoil your partner-“mating songs” in giant pill-millipedes (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida). Naturwissenschaften 98 (11): 967–975' : http://www.springerlink.com/content/u3h307757876t723/fulltext.pdf

Wired.com: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/10/millipede-stridulation/

SpiegelOnline: http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/0,1518,793597,00.html

- Interviewed for the findings of the 2007 Madagascar Expedition, articles in popular German Newspapers:

Printed versions: Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), tageszeitung (taz), FOCUS, Bonner Generalanzeiger, more than 40 local newspapers.

Online: SpiegelOnline, Weltonline, Wissenschaftonline, numerous other websites, reaching as far as France, Turkey and Madagascar.

Radio interviews: Radio Bonn/Rhein-Sieg, WDR.

- Interviewed for the findings of the 2003 Madagascar Expedition with articles in popular German Newspapers

Printed versions: National Geographic Germany, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ), Berliner Zeitung, plus a high number of local papers.

Publications

Peer-reviewed Articles

18. Wesener, T., Raupach, M.J. & P. Decker (2011). Mountain Refugia Play A Role In Soil Arthropod Speciation On Madagascar. A Case Study Of The Endemic Giant Fire-Millipede Genus Aphistogoniulus (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae). PLoS ONE 6 (12): 1–15.

17. Wesener, T., Köhler, J., Fuchs, S. & D. van den Spiegel (2011). How to uncoil your partner-“mating songs” in giant pill-millipedes (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida). Naturwissenschaften 98 (11): 967–975.

16. Wesener, T. (2011). Re-discovery after more than a century: a redefinition of the Malagasy endemic millipede genus Zehntnerobolus, with a description of a new species (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae). Zootaxa 3018: 21–26.

15. Shear, W.A., T.H. Jones & T. Wesener (2011). Glomerin and homoglomerin from the North American pill millipede Onomeris sinuata (Loomis, 1943) (Diplopoda, Pentazonia, Glomeridae). International Journal of Myriapodology 4: 1–10.

14. Wesener, T. (2010). Revision of the American Pill Millipedes I: Onomeris and Trichomeris (Diplopoda, Glomerida, Glomeridae). Zootaxa 2725: 28-40.

13. Wesener, T., & K. Schütte (2010). Swarming behaviour and mass occurrences in the world's largest Giant Pill-Millipede species, Zoosphaerium neptunus, on Madagascar and its implication for conservation efforts (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida). Madagascar Conservation and Development 5 (2): 89–94.

12. Wesener, T., Raupach, M. J. & P. Sierwald (2010). The origins of the Giant Pill-Millipedes from Madagascar (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida: Arthrosphaeridae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 57: 1184–1183.

11. Wesener, T., Bespalova, I. & P. Sierwald (2010). Madagascar's living giants: discovery of five new species of endemic giant pill-millipedes from Madagascar (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida: Arthrosphaeridae: Zoosphaerium). African Invertebrates 51 (1): 133–161.

10. 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)

9. 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)

8. 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.

7. 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. (cover article)

6. 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)

5. 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.

4. 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.

3. 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.

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.

Book chapters and congress contributions

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

3. 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.

2. 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.

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