Prof. Dr. Wolfgang BöhmeStellvertretender Direktor, Leiter der Abt. Wirbeltiere, Kurator Herpetologie
Tel.: +49 (0)228 9122 250
Fax: +49 (0)228 9122 0
E-Mail: w.boehme.zfmk@uni-bonn.de
Wolfgang Böhme, born November 21, 1944, finished highschool ("Kieler Gelehrtenschule") in Kiel, April 1965, and subsequently studied zoology, botany and paleontology at the "Christian-Albrechts-Universität" of Kiel. Doctoral degree with a thesis on hemipenis morphology in lacertid lizards in June 1971 under supervision of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Wolf Herre.
From August 1971 until today head of the Herpetology Section of the "Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig" (ZFMK), Bonn. Since then, increase of the herpetological collection from less than ca. 9.600 specimens to ca. 90.000. Since October 1992 Head of the Vertebrate Department and Vice Director of the Institute and Museum.
Fields of Research: Systematics, ecology and biogeography of amphibians and reptiles, with taxonomic focus on lizards (geckos, chameleons, skinks, lacertids, monitor lizards) and their Tertiary and Quaternary predecessors (e.g. lizard amber fossils); genital morphology of squamates. Geographical focus on the western Palearctic Region (founder and editor of "Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas", edition of 5 vols. between 1981 and 1999) and West Africa (6 larger field excursions to West/Central Africa, each with 1-3 months duration: Spring 1973 Cameroon, winter 1973/74 Cameroon, winter 1975/76 Senegambia, 1993 Guinea, 1998 Cameroon, 1999 crossing the Sahara in both directions: Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal). In 2002 an extensive educational trip through the eastern half of the USA. Currently 509 scientific publications.
Since winter semester 1980/81 participation in teaching at the "Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität" Bonn; habilitation (thesis on genital morphology in the Sauria) and venia legendi received in May 1988. Since then regular teaching and supervision of more than 112 master and 30 doctoral theses, plus 25 theses for state examen. Awarded full professorship ("apl. Professor") April 1996.
Members of his ZFMK herpetological working group were/are active in the tropics of Central and South America (Costa Rica, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Chile), Africa (Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia) and Madagascar, and of SE Asia (Vietnam, Indonesia).
September 1979 host and founding member of the "Societas Europaea Herpetologica", which publishes "Amphibia-Reptilia", simultaneously founded at ZFMK, and today the leading journal of its discipline in Europe. Elected for president of the society 1993 in Barcelona, re-elected for another 4 years 1997 in Prague.
From 1983 to 1991 Chairman of the "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde" (DGHT) which during this period grew from ca. 2000 to over 5000 members, thus becoming the largest association of its discipline in the world.
From 2000 to 2002 founding chairman of the working group "Literatur und Geschichte der Herpetologie" of the DGHT with its own periodical "Beiträge zur Literatur und Geschichte der Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde", after two issues, from 2003 onwards, continued as "Sekretär".
From 2001 to 2005 member of the Commission of the "International Committee of Zoological Nomenclature" (ICZN).
From October 1996 to December 2006 President of the "European Association of Zoological Nomenclature" (EAZN).
