Thomas Eisner
Thomas Eisner (born June 25, 1929 in Berlin , † March 25, 2011 in Ithaca , New York , United States ) was an American entomologist .
Life
Since Eisner's father, the chemist Hans Eisner, was Jewish, the family left Germany in 1933 and after stays in Spain, France and Uruguay finally came to New York City in 1947 . At Harvard University , where he studied biology, he met Edward O. Wilson , with whom he had a lifelong friendship. He received his doctorate in 1955 . From 1957 he worked at Cornell University in Ithaca, where he became a professor. As a friend of Carl Gans ' he was also in close contact with him.
Eisner had been married since 1952 and had three daughters. He died as a result of Parkinson's disease .
research
Eisner primarily researched how insects and other arthropods use chemicals for communication and defense. He dealt with the bombardier beetle , which can specifically emit corrosive and foul-smelling gases for self-defense, as well as with the role of fragrances in the mating of the butterfly Danaus gilippus .
Together with Jerrold Meinwald , Eisner is considered to be the father of the research field chemical ecology . He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences . In 1969 Eisner was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences , since 1986 he was a member of the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina and the American Philosophical Society . In 1997 he was admitted to the Royal Society as a foreign member . In 2008 he received the John J. Carty Award .
Fonts (selection)
- with Bert Hölldobler & Martin Lindauer : Chemical ecology, territoriality, mutual understanding. Fischer, Stuttgart / New York 1986, ISBN 3-437-30524-7 .
- Chemical ecology. The chemistry of biotic interaction. 1995, ISBN 0-309-05281-5 .
- For love of insects. 2003, ISBN 0-674-01181-3 .
literature
- Jerrold Meinwald: Thomas Eisner (1929–2011). In: Science , Volume 332, 2011, p. 549, doi: 10.1126 / science.1206758
Web links
- Literature by and about Thomas Eisner in the catalog of the German National Library
- Thomas Eisner . In: Daily Telegraph . April 11, 2011
- Kenneth Chang: Thomas Eisner, Who Cracked Chemistry of Bugs, Dies at 81 . In: The New York Times . March 30, 2011.
- Cornell University: Bibliography of the works of Thomas Eisner (PDF; 400 kB)
- Thomas Eisner: Seven Wonders of the World, film about Eisner by Christopher Sykes (June 2011, 28 minutes) (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Book of Members ( PDF ). Retrieved April 18, 2016
- ^ Member entry by Thomas Eisner at the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina , accessed on March 8, 2013.
- ^ Member History: Thomas Eisner. American Philosophical Society, accessed July 28, 2018 .
- ^ Entry on Eisner, Thomas in the archive of the Royal Society , London
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Eisner, Thomas |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American entomologist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 25, 1929 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Berlin |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 25, 2011 |
| Place of death | Ithaca , New York , United States |