LE TEMPS MARCHE SI VITE—IN MEMORY OF KONRAD THALER

2006·4.6 MB·English

by  Christoph Muster

2006. The Journal of Arachnology 34:281-284
OBITUARY
LE TEMPS MARCHE SI VITE—IN MEMORY OF
KONRAD THALER
Christoph Muster: Universitat Leipzig, Institut fiir Biologic II, Molekulare Evolution
und Systematik der Tiere, TalstraBe 33, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany, E-mail:
[email protected]
Jason A. Dunlop: Institut fiir Systematische Zoologie, Museum fiir Naturkunde der
Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, InvalidenstraBe 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany.
It is hard in the moment of sorrow to mea- mark on a whole generation of zoogeogra-
sure the degree of loss, but European arach- phers, taxonomists, mountain ecologists and
nologists must come to terms with the passing entomologists and who was described at his
ofone oftheir most influential figures. On the funeral by a long-time friend as a scientist of
June, 2005, Konrad Thaler died suddenly “enthusiastic heart and rational words”.
and unexpectedly at the age of 64 during a Konrad Thaler was born on December 19'*’,
student excursion in the Stubaier Alps. With 1940 in Innsbruck, Austria and stayed true to
him we have lost someone who has left his his Tyrolean mountains throughout his life.
281
282 THE JOURNAL OF ARACHNOLOGY
After attending school in Innsbruck, he re- It is hard to pick out individual research
ceived his leaving certificate in 1958, spent highlights. His work on the arachnids near
two years in military service and began his Lunz in Austria (Thaler 1963), published
studies in zoology and botany at the Univer- when he was only 23, remains of great value
sity of Innsbruck in 1959/60. His professors, as the first, and until recently, the only record
H. Janetschek, O. Steinbock, H. Gams and W. of males of the parthenogenetic harvestman
Larcher, were important figures in the study Megabunus lessertL Characteristic would be
ofAlpine biogeography. His 1967 dissertation the serial publications “Uber wenig bekanete
was (in translation): “On the spider fauna of Zwergspineen aus dee Alpen”, which was
Northern Tyrol (excluding Linyphiidae and published over nine issues; as well as “Frag-
Micryphantidae. Prelude to a catalog of the menta Faunistica Tiroleesia”. Here, Konrad
large spiders of North Tyrol)”. Subsequently, attempted, as part of partial inventory of the
linyphiids would become one of his favorite North-Tyrol fauna, to make what little was
groups. Field-experience and much material known about the less-familiar invertebrate
for future revisions was gathered in the six groups successively accessible; thus impres-
years he spent at the Alpine Research Station sively demonstrating the breadth ofhis knowl-
in Obergurgl, before taking on an assistant edge. The reprints of part 17 (Thaler 2005)
post at the University of Innsbruck in 1970. were posted on the day of his death. In his
He submitted his 1978 ‘Habiiitation' thesis on last years he was particularly keen to produce
“The taxonomy and zoogeography of Alpine summary works, such as the faunistic synop-
spiders” and since 1983 led the department of sis of North-Tyrol spiders (Thaler 1998) and
Terrestrial Ecology and Taxonomy at the In- areview ofthe ecology ofhigh-Alpine species
stitute of Zoology and Limnology of Inns- (Thaler 2003). Also important was his edito-
bruck University. He was a council member rial work on the “Diversity and biology of
of the “Centre International de Documenta- spiders, scorpions and other arachnids” which
tion Arachnologique” (CIDA) from 1986- included papers from long-term collaborators
1989, CIDA (later ISA) correspondent for and showed Austria as a working environment
Austria, and President of the Austrian Ento- for arachnologists (Thaler 2004). For a full
mological Society from 2002-2005. measure of the merit of his life’s work one
Konrad Thaler died at the peak of his pro- should compare our state ofknowledge at the
ductivity. Until the very end he worked tire- end ofhis studies in the “Contributions to the
lessly each day, almost as if he knew how spider fauna of North-Tyrol” (Thaler 1992,
little time he had left. The bare facts are clear: 1994, 1995, 1997a,b, 1999) with how things
between 1963 and 2005 he authored or co- were before he started, when the spiders were
authored more than 220journal articles. There an unhappy picture of insufficient fau-
.
was a continual increase in his yearly output: nistic research.” (translated from Holdhaus
on average one a year during his time in Ob- 1954). A full inventory of Austrian spiders
ergurgl (1964-1970), three as a university As- (begun by Thaler & Knoflach 2002, 2003,
sistant (1970-1978), and seven a year since 2004) was sadly not to be completed in his
his 'Habilitation' in 1978. Since 2002 alone lifetime.
he published 40 papers! Additionally, there Konrad’s taxonomic work included the au-
were popular science articles, often in the thorship of two genera (Carnielia, Mysmeni-
journal of the Austrian Alpine Society, plus ola), 11 species and one subspecies of spider,
abstracts and book reviews. From 1973-2005 and one harvestman species. Of these, 48 he
he supervised 41 diploma theses and 10 PhDs; collected himself, and none have so farproved
mostly faunistic and ecological, or taxonomic to be synonyms. His new taxa spanned 17
and morphological projects. As well as arach- families, predominantly Linyphiidae (42 spe-
nids, he supervised numerous studies of myr- cies) and Amaurobiidae (12 species), with a
iapods and beetles. Thanks to his careful re- geographical concentration in the Alps and the
cord-keeping, we know he gave exactly 100 Mediterranean. Twenty-six species from vari-
presentations at Austrian and international ous animal groups bear his name, including
meetings; the last four days before his death twelve spiders, four flies, a tardigrade and an
on “Areal forms of invertebrates in the east- oligochaete worm.
ern Alps”. It’s obvious that such productivity could
MUSTER & DUNLOP—THALER OBIT 283
only be achieved through great personal and sonal contact and the enthusiasm and devotion
passionate commitment to research. For Kon-= he brought to his teaching.
rad, science was his life-work {labor vincit Administrative duties meant that despite his
omnia). Insiders knew one could in,variably discipline and industry, time for research be-
meet Konrad in the institute seven days a came increasingly scarce. He often wrote of a
week, so long as he wasn’t on excursion. He “Mountain of paper in front of the micro-
had the good fortune with his second wife scope.” and the “Lure of the mountains for
Barbarato find an equally enthusiastic and tal- arachnological collecting”. At the 8* meeting
ented comrade-in-arms. Their years together of the German-speaking arachnologists in
were a particularly productive phase of co- Salzburg, he mused about whether we should
operative activity, during which the Mediter- go into the Alps, simply to enjoy the distinc-
ranean arachnids became a further focus of tive fauna or the landscape per se. For Kon-
research. rad, life withoutthe mountains was impossible
Although he enjoyed considerable interna- to imagine. He felt happiest at 3,000 m; where
tional recognition, his achievements were not the motto might have been: concentrate on
always recognized by his owe institute. Here, that which is most important. Longer collect-
he was often accused of failing to keep up ing trips were made to the Caucuses, Pyrenees
with the latest trends or buzz-words. It is not and Atlas mountains, where the local guides
that he rejected, for example, molecular meth- were said to have whispered “he marches like
ods, but simply felt that . the state of an Arab”. His student trips into the Alps were
knowledge achievable by AonventionaT legendary, and up to the very end he would
means was far from being reached. . . In- be walking way ahead of the younger partic-
deed it was through conventional methods that ipants, especially on critical passes. The ex-
Konrad became a leading figure of 20* cen- cursions took place in all weathers, often with
tury arachnology. His death means, regretta- the resume that this enabled one to better un-
bly, a further substantial loss oftaxonomic ex- derstand the requirements of Alpine animals.
pertise among the German-language It seems fate that Konrad died during his final
universities. It can only be hoped that those regular student excursion, only a few months
in authority recognize the consequences of before he was due to retire, when he would
this before it is too late. have had more time for fieldwork and his own
Everyone who visited Konrad in his office
projects. His friends, colleagues and students
was impressed by the concentration of litera- must now take over his legacy and try to
ture, in particular the many originals of stan- write at least one new line each day”.
dard works and a rich collection of compara- Fo.r advice and information we are very
tive material. They were also astounded by grateful to Barbara Knoflach. A German ver-
their host’s memory. Konrad could recognize
sion ofthis obituary has been published in the
almost every Central European spider, without
Arachnoiogische Mitteilungee 30 (2005),
the use of literature, and when he said ‘T ha-
which also includes a complete bibliography
ven’t seen anything like that before.” you
knew you had found something special. But of Konrad Thaler’s publications by this date.
most ofall, people remember his courtesy and We thank the editors for permission to offer
this translation.
helpfulness, his stimulating inquisitiveness,
constant ability to enthuse and his many LITERATURE CITED
words of encouragement. As an example, be-
tween two stressful meetings he was asked to Holdhaus, K. 1954. Die Spuren der Eiszeit in der
check the identification of a Troglohyphantes TierweltEuropas. Abhandlungenderzoologisch-
male and got up from the microscope with the botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 18:1-493.
words “Thanks for the nice view”. No one Thaler, K. 1963. Spinnentiere aus Lunz (Niederos-
terreich)nebstBemerkungenzueinigenvonKul-
left his room without a better understanding, czynski aus Niederosterreich gemeldeten Arten.
a constructive thought, or feeling more moti-
Berichte des naterwisseeschaftlich-medizinisch-
vated. He always had an open door for his en Vereins in Innsbruck 53:273-283.
students and it is no accident that shortly after Thaler, K. 1992. Beitrage zur Spinnenfauna von
his death many of them offered thanks on the Nordtirol — 1. RevidierendeDiskussion der “Ar-
university homepage for his remarkable per- achniden Tirols” (Anton Ausserer 1867) und
284 THE JOURNAL OF ARACHNOLOGY
Schrifttum. Veroffentlichungee des MuseumFer- Nordtirol — 6. Linyphiidae 2: Erigoninae (sensu
dinandeum (Innsbruck) 71(1991):155-189. Wiehle) (Arachnida: Araneae). Veroffentlichun-
Thaler, K. 1994. Beitrage zur Spinnenfauna von gen des Museum Ferdinandeum (Innsbruck) 79:
Nordtirol — 2: Orthognathe, cribellate und hap- 215-264.
logyne Familien, Pholcidae, Zodariidae, Mime- Thaler, K. 2003. The diversity of high altitude
tidae und Argiopiformia (ohne Linyphiidae s.L) arachnids (Araneae, Opiliones, Pseudoscorpi-
(Arachnida: Araneida). Mit Bemerkuegen zur ones) in the Alps. Pp 281-296. In L. Nagy, G.
Spinnenfauna der Ostalpen. Veroffentlichungen Grabherr, C. Korner & D.B.A. Thompson (eds.),
des Museum Ferdinandeum (Innsbruck) 73 Alpine Biodiversity in Europe. Ecological Stud-
(1993):69-119. ies 167. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Thaler, K. 1995. Beitrage zur Spinnenfauna von Thaler, K. (ed.) 2004. Diversitat und Biologic von
Nordtirol — 5. Linyphiidae 1: Linyphiinae (sensu Webspinnen, Skorpionen und anderen Spinnen-
Wiehle) (Arachnida: Araneida). Berichte des na- tieren. Denisia 12:1-586.
—
turwissenschaftlich-medizinischen Vereins in Thaler, K. 2005. Fragmenta FaunisticaTirolensia
Innsbruck 82:153-190. 17 (Arachnida: Araneae; Insecta: Psocoptera,
Thaler, K. 1997a. Beitrage zur Spinnenfauna von Strepsiptera, Megaloptera, Neuroptera, Raphi-
Nordtirol — 3: “Lycosaeformia” (Agelenidae, dioptera, Mecoptera, Siphonaptera, Diptera: My-
Hahniidae, Argyronetidae, Pisauridae, Oxyopi- cetophiloidea). Veroffentlichungen des Tiroler
dae, Lycosidae) und Gnaphosidae (Arachnida: Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum 84:161-180.
Araneida). Veroffentlichungen des Museum Fer~ Thaler, K. & B. Knofiach. 2002. Zur Faunistik der
dinandeum (Innsbruck) 75/76(1995/96):97-146. Spinnen (Araneae) von Osterreich: Atypidae,
Thaler, K. 1997b. Beitrage zur Spinnenfauna von Haplogynae, Eresidae, Zodariidae, Mimetidae.
Nordtirol — 4. Dionycha (Anyphaenidae, Clu™ Linzer biologische Beitrage 34:413-444.
bionidae, Heteropodidae, Liocranidae, Philod- Thaler, K. & B. Knoflach. 2003. Zur Faunistik der
romidae, Salticidae, Thomisidae, Zoridae). Ver- Spinnen (Araneae) von Osterreich: Orbiculariae
offentlichungen des Museum. Ferdinandeum p.p. (Araneidae, Tetragnathidae, Theridiosomati-
(Innsbruck) 77:233-285. dae, Uloboridae). Linzer biologische Beitrage
Thaler, K. 1998. Die Spinnen vonNordtirol (Arach- 35:613-655.
nida, Araneae): Faunistische Synopsis. Veroffen- Thaler, K. & B. Knoflach. 2004. Zur Faunistik der
tlichungee des Museum Ferdinandeum (Inns- Spinnen (Araneae) von Osterreich: Gnaphosidae,
bruck) 78:37-58. Thomisidae (Dionycha pro parte). Linzer biolo-
Thaler, K. 1999. Beitrage zur Spinnenfauna von gische Beitrage 36:417-484.