Wolf-Ernst Reif

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Wolf-Ernst Reif (born June 27, 1945 in Heidenheim an der Brenz ; † June 11, 2009 in Tübingen ) was a German paleontologist and evolutionary biologist .

Wolf-Ernst Reif

Reif made significant contributions to many areas of the earth and biosciences and also analyzed the structure and epistemological properties of these disciplines. His lasting contribution lies in the versatility of his approach, the dialectical approach and theoretical penetration of evolutionary biological problems. Reif's work shows that the geosciences and life sciences have both historical and scientific aspects and analyzes how these interact in the formation of theories.

Life

Wolf-Ernst Reif had been interested in stones and fossils from an early age and wrote his first, award-winning scientific paper at the age of 17. From 1966, Reif studied geology at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen under Adolf Seilacher , where he graduated on Triassic bone beds and obtained his doctorate in 1973 on sharks. He then became Seilacher's assistant and took over the management of the Collaborative Research Center 230 "Natural Constructions". In 1982 he completed his habilitation with his odontode regulation theory. After a temporary professorship from 1984, Reif received a permanent professorship for construction morphology at the University of Tübingen in 1988 . Together with Frank Westphal , Reif turned the Institute for Geology and Paleontology in Tübingen into a center for vertebrate palaeontology, from which numerous well-known paleontologists emerged (e.g. Eberhard "Dino" Frey, Günter Bechly , Michael Maisch and Rainer Schoch ). For a time, Reif was editor of the journals "New Yearbook for Geology and Paleontology" and "Paleontological Journal". In 1996, Reif took early retirement for health reasons. His last (partly unfinished) work "Darwin's Origin as a modern theory" was published posthumously in 2010.

plant

paleontology

His main paleontological contributions dealt with the evolution of early vertebrates (formation and ontogenesis of hard tissue), the formation of fossil deposits , and the construction morphology of numerous groups of organisms. His interdisciplinary approach was aimed at recognizing building principles that represent limits and options for growth and evolution. This concept was at the center of the so-called Tübingen School of Construction Morphology, which together with Adolf Seilacher and Frank Westphal formed a focus in the 1970s to 1990s.

Bionics

Reif's discovery of tiny grooves on the scales of fast-swimming deep-sea sharks led, in cooperation with the fluid mechanic Dr. Dietrich W. Bechert from DLR in Berlin on the finding that micro-grooves can reduce energy consumption by 8 to 11 percent compared to smooth surfaces by reducing frictional resistance. This contradicts the prevailing doctrine that smooth surfaces are always more aerodynamic. A riblet film developed on the basis of this research led to a 3 percent reduction in fuel consumption in a large-scale test on an Airbus 320 commercial aircraft . The sailing yacht "Stars and Stripes" was also provided with a micro-grooved film and in 1987 won the America's Cup . Most of the Olympic athletes' swimsuits ( Speedo Fastskin) have had longitudinal micro grooves since 1996.

Evolutionary biology

Using an interdisciplinary approach ( embryology , functional morphology, flow physics and palaeontology), Reif investigated the evolution of the scales and teeth of sharks. This led him to an evolutionary model of tooth formation, the odontode regulation theory. In numerous other posts he dealt with speciation (speciation), evolutionary constraints (constraints), gradualism and finally with the fundamental questions of phylogenetic systematics or cladistics . Another important contribution is the model of the Skeleton Space, a 7-dimensional space in which all conceivable organic hard structures and their evolutionary migration through this space can be shown, developed with Roger DK Thomas.

Evolution theory

Reif dealt extensively with Charles Darwin , especially his main work " The Origin of Species " , published in 1859 . The central question for him was which evolutionary factors Darwin had already recognized. He found evidence of an implicit ecological species concept in Darwin's work. He also analyzed evidence for Darwin's concept of the organism. A second, recurring theme in Reif's theoretical work is typology, a pre-Darwinian approach to evolutionary biology, which, according to Reif, caused many problems for the integration of paleontology and evolutionary biology.

History of science

Reif examined the life's work of numerous geoscientists and bioscientists, mostly with regard to their evolutionary biological concepts and ideas. In addition to Darwin, these include above all the works of Otto Heinrich Schindewolf , Willi Hennig , Othenio Abel , Adolf Naef , Friedrich August von Quenstedt and Walter Zimmermann . A recurring topic was the synthetic theory of evolution and the question of which authors contributed to it.

Awards and honors

  • Hörlein Prize from the Association of German Biologists for his first scientific work at the age of 17
  • 1986 Ernst Mach Prize from DLR for his research in the field of bionics
  • In 2008 he was appointed honorary member of the Paleontological Society
  • 2013: Special volume of the journal Historical Biology (Vol. 25/2) "Analysis and Synthesis: Studies in Paleobiology, Evolution and the History of Science in the Honor of Wolf-Ernst Reif, 1945–2009".

Publications

  • Squamation and ecology of sharks , Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, No. 78, Senckenberg. Natural Research Society, Frankfurt am Main, 1985
  • with David Weishampel Theoretical Morphology. An annotated bibliography 1960-1990 , Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, No. 142, Senckenberg. Natural Research Society, Frankfurt am Main, 1991
  • Editor with J. Bereiter-Hahn, OR Anderson Cytomechanics: the mechanical basis of cell form and structure , Springer Verlag 1987

A complete list of literature can be found in the obituary:

  • Rainer Schoch (2010): Wolf-Ernst Reif - A Wonderful Mind . N. Jb.Geol.Paleont. Dep. 255 (2): 1-5; Stuttgart.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ List of honorary members of the Paleontological Society
  2. ↑ Special Volume Historical Biology 25/2 2013
personal data
SURNAME Ripe, Wolf-Ernst
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German paleontologist
DATE OF BIRTH June 27, 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH Heidenheim an der Brenz
DATE OF DEATH June 11, 2009
Place of death Tübingen