Who is your favorite arachnologist and why?

Zoltan

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Who is your favorite arachnologist who has worked/works on the taxonomy/systematics of Theraphosidae and why?
 

CAK

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Hmmm... I don't think I could even name one, let alone have a favorite. :8o
 

TomM

Arachnobaron of Pennsylvania
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Cândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão!!!

He has discovered some of the coolest species, and he's from one of my favorite countries (Brazil).
 

6StringSamurai

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I'm in the same boat as CAK, I don't know any arachnologists off the top of my head.

But I really want to! This thread is a cool learning opportunity. Those of you who post answers, can you please include links to some material on the person you chose so we can read up? Thanks!
 

Kirk

Arachnodemon
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Brent Hendrixson and Chris Hamilton, because they're working on Aphonopelma systematics.
 

pato_chacoana

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Good question Zoltan! :)

Cândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão!!!

He has discovered some of the coolest species, and he's from one of my favorite countries (Brazil).
Ouch! That's one of my very least favorites lol! Just look at his descriptions and how he will ''discover'' new species...:barf:

Sorry, anyway.... my favorites are (my local arachnologists):

Rita D. Schiapelli and Berta S. Gerschman de Pikelin

Their work is truly amazing taking into consideration within the years they worked. They traveled foreign museums to examine specimens, one of the first to analyze females' spermathecae shapes, properly described species, genus revisions, they were passionate and truly loved what they did.

Another arachnologist that I think was truly great: Reginald Innes Pocock . An advanced zoologist of the late 19th century and early 20th century. The way he worked was innovative for the old days.

There are many other great arachnologists. I like the way Sam Marshall writes, he is also a great biologist.

Cheers,
Pato
 

dannyboypede

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Dr. Todd Blackledge...no, not the football announcer. He works at the Biology Department at the University of Akron. He usually has a few articles in the Journal of Arachnology issues. He mainly works with the University of Akron's Polymer Institute. They test the strength of spider silk, the properties of spider silk, and the way spiders spin it. His department and the Polymer Institute are working to create an artificial polymer similar to that of spider silk. What they have done is extract liquid silk from mostly G. rosea and Latrodectus. Then he tries to spin it using different methods. The hope is to develop a very strong polymer that can be used for tires and such (it is Akron, after all). He has about 20 G. rosea and a few other T's. He also has about 20 black widows (I don't know the exact species).
He is my favorite simply because he is the only one I know of, other than Sam Marshall. Sam Marshall had a huge spider lab at Hiram College in Ohio. I have tried to contact Hiram College to figure out where he and all of his T's are, but they never got back to me. He was the guy in the Tarantula Scientist book for kids. It was a pretty good book, a lot of true Theraphosa blondi in it.

--Dan
 

Scourge

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I like Caroline Fukushima. Real nice girl, and a brave one for taking on the Avicularia!
 

Fingolfin

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I only know one, Rick West, so he'd have to be at the top! Had the chance to spend the day with him a couple times, and correspond as well, good guy and very informative.
 

Poxicator

Arachnobaron
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living: Andrew Smith, Norman Platnick
deceased: Robert I Pocock, Carl Linnaeus
 

Shanigirl

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This has been so informative! Threre are so many names I need to research. Thanks for all of your input! :worship:
 

Crysta

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My Lasiodora parahybana ..However, she may know everything about herself but doesn't want to publish anything...
 

Lorum

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Who is your favorite arachnologist who has worked/works on the taxonomy/systematics of Theraphosidae and why?
And what about you, Zoltan? Who is your favorite arachnologist?
 

Zoltan

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Cândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão!!!
Ouch! That's one of my very least favorites lol!
Platnick said about him: "one of the worst taxonomists South America ever produced." It's also kind of funny that once he "actually described a whole new family of spiders, based on what turned out to be a single male mite." On the other hand, if memory serves, he's the one who has basically established spider taxonomy in Brazil, so you have to give him that. Plus he described G. pulchra, one of my favorite species.

Rita D. Schiapelli and Berta S. Gerschman de Pikelin
I think they were the ones who started using spermathecae in theraphosid taxonomy, that definitely earns them some points!

Another arachnologist that I think was truly great: Reginald Innes Pocock . An advanced zoologist of the late 19th century and early 20th century. The way he worked was innovative for the old days.
And what about you, Zoltan? Who is your favorite arachnologist?
I do admire Mr. Reginald I. Pocock a lot. Between 1892 and 1903, Pocock has described over a 100 (!) tarantula species, most of which are still valid today!

This thread is a cool learning opportunity. Those of you who post answers, can you please include links to some material on the person you chose so we can read up? Thanks!
I'm just gonna throw a few names out there the bearers of which are deceased and haven't already been mentioned.

Johann Christian Fabricius (1745 – 1808): he must be mentioned solely because he described Stromatopelma calceatum. ;)
Pierre André Latreille (1762 – 1833).
Charles Athanase Walckenaer (1771 – 1852).
Carl Ludwig Koch (1778 – 1857). His son, Ludwig Carl Christian Koch (1825-1908) was also an arachnologist.
Anton Ausserer (1843 – 1889).
Ferdinand Karsch (1853 – 1936).
Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell (1830 - 1901).
Eugène Simon (1848 - 1924) - many consider him to be the most knowledgeable arachnologist of all time.
Reginald Innes Pocock (1863 - 1947) - he's been mentioned already, but his name can't be left out of this list.
Octavius Pickard-Cambridge (1828–1917).
Frederick Octavius Pickard-Cambridge (1860 - 1905) - O. P.-Cambridge's nephew. "The only well-known spider specialist to have committed suicide with his own gun." :(
William Frederick Purcell (1866 - 1919).
Embrik Strand (1876 – 1947). He had somewhat questionable motives, but has named a lot of species (not only spiders).
Arthur Stanley Hirst (1883 – 1930).
Joseph Conrad Chamberlin (1898 – 1962).

There are others, but this is enough for the first batch.
 
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