An early German tardiologist - Prof. Ferdinand Richters |
Hind boy of Batillipes mirus
with characteristic appendix.
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A further result of Richters' research was the discovery of the bizarre minute tardigrade Calohypsibius ornatus. One should think that the term "minute tardigrade" might be some kind of linguistic overkill. But, in fact there are small species among the tardigrades thus being ultra-minaturized relatives of the "normal" miniaturized tardigrades. Calohypsibius ornatus has distinctive rows of thorns on its cuticula and therefore received its latin attribute "ornatus". |
Due to its tiny size and transparency
the minute terrestrial tardigrade Calohypsibsibius ornatus is
a real microscopical challenge, even for the advanced amateur.
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As the Water Bear web base has become an internet fossil itself
we receive lots of mails from readers some of which are able to contribute
substantially to our subject. So we are glad to have received a permission by Guther Dohse to
present two of his family photographs depicting Prof. Richters. |
Ferdinand Richters as a young man. |
When looking at the details we note essential objects of zoological study like the specimens in conserving fluid and further objects of interests and, last but not least, a reference book, probably for species determination. |
Same picture as above, detail, please note the loupe. |
Many years had been passing by. In the meanwhile Ferdinand Richters had fallen ill but luckily recovered from his disease. Since his recovery Ferdinand Richters focused much of his research energy on tardigrades. Please note the crowded working area on his desks. Modern consultants probably would criticize him as chaotic personality - but apparently he simply loved the topics of his work and so there was no reason to "clean" his desks from any "ugly traces" (poor consultants!). |
Prof. Ferdinand Richters in 1914, short befor his death. |
The microscope on the right-hand side of the image, under the glass cover apparently his everyday microscope, probably also served as his tardigrade microscope. |
Same picture as above, detail, once more with a loupe. |
All the best for 2013! |
Literature
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© Text, images and video clips by
Martin Mach (webmaster@baertierchen.de).
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