Robert Mertens
Robert Friedrich Wilhelm Mertens (born December 1, 1894 in Saint Petersburg ; † August 23, 1975 in Frankfurt am Main ) was a German biologist and from 1946 to 1959 director of the Senckenberg Research Institute and Museum of Nature in Frankfurt am Main.
As an important herpetologist , he re- described many reptile species and made Senckenberg an important collection location for international herpetology . He first described 52 species of reptiles.
Robert Mertens was considered the expert on the genus of the day geckos ( Phelsuma ) for 20 years (1954–1975) , in which he described no less than 20 new species and subspecies. His research on the lizard family Varanidae is also important . In 1960 he was elected a member of the Leopoldina .
Local herpetology also benefited greatly from Merten's work. His work "Reptiles and Amphibians" of the Rhine-Main area can still be used as a reliable source for herpetological excursions in the wider area around Frankfurt.
He also founded Mertens' mimicry .
Robert Mertens died at the age of 80 from the bite of a Cape bird snake ( Thelotornis capensis ) that he kept in Frankfurt - a snake whose poison still has no antidote. He died 18 days after being bitten.
To honor him, the Mertens water monitor ( Varanus mertensi ) and the day gecko Phelsuma robertmertensi were named after Robert Mertens. He was also awarded the Great Federal Cross of Merit in 1952.
literature
- Wolfgang Klausewitz : Mertens, Robert. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 17, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-428-00198-2 , p. 183 f. ( Digitized version ).
- Konrad Klemmer : Robert Mertens, his life and work . In: Courier Research Institute Senckenberg . tape 20 , 1977, ISBN 3-510-61238-8 ( E. Schwizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Science Publishers ).
Web links
- Literature by and about Robert Mertens in the catalog of the German National Library
- Short biography at Chamaeleons-online.com
- Photography by Robert Mertens
- Mertens, Robert. Hessian biography. (As of February 25, 2020). In: Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS).
- Mertens, Robert in the Frankfurt personal dictionary
Individual evidence
- ↑ Peter Uetz: The original descriptions of reptiles, Zootaxa, No. 2335, 2010, 59–68, pdf
- ↑ Senckenberg Society for Nature Research: Snake Toxins - Lack of Antidotes
- ↑ Goruma.de, Poisonous Snakes: Gray Tree Snake (Thelotornis kirtlandii) ( Memento of the original from August 31, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Southern bird snake (Thelotornis capensis)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mertens, Robert |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Mertens, Robert Friedrich Wilhelm (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German biology and museum director |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 1, 1894 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | St. Petersburg |
| DATE OF DEATH | 23rd August 1975 |
| Place of death | Frankfurt am Main |