Klaus Rohde (born 1932 in
Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany) is a German
biologist
A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...
at the
University of New England (UNE), Australia, known particularly for his work on marine parasitology, evolutionary ecology/zoogeography, and phylogeny/ultrastructure of lower invertebrates.
Early life and education
Rohde studied
zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...
,
botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
,
physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
,
physiological chemistry
Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology a ...
in
Potsdam
Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream o ...
(
Brandenburgische Landeshochschule, Germany) from 1950–1952, and, after moving from East- to West-Germany, in
Münster/Westfalen (Germany) from 1953–1956.
He received the degree of Dr.rer.nat. at
University of Münster (Germany) in 1956 for a thesis on the behaviour and
physiology
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...
of
Paramecium
''
''Paramecium'' ( , ; also spelled ''Paramoecium'') is a genus of eukaryotic, unicellular ciliates, commonly studied as a representative of the ciliate group. ''Paramecia'' are widespread in freshwater, brackish, and marine environments and a ...
. Subsequently, (1957–1959), he did scientific work at ASTA-Werke, Brackwede/
Westfalen
Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants.
The territory of the regio ...
(
pharmaceutical industry
The pharmaceutical industry discovers, develops, produces, and markets drugs or pharmaceutical drugs for use as medications to be administered to patients (or self-administered), with the aim to cure them, vaccinate them, or alleviate symptoms. ...
) on the development of new tests for screening
anthelminthic drugs (
filariasis
Filariasis is a parasitic disease caused by an infection with roundworms of the Filarioidea type. These are spread by blood-feeding insects such as black flies and mosquitoes. They belong to the group of diseases called helminthiases.
These ...
,
hookworms,
cysticercus
Cysticercus (pl. cysticerci) is a scientific name given to the young tapeworms (larvae) belonging to the genus '' Taenia''. It is a small, sac-like vesicle resembling a bladder; hence, it is also known as bladder worm. It is filled with fluid, in ...
).
Career
From 1960–1967, Rohde was a lecturer at the
University of Malaya
The University of Malaya ( ms, Universiti Malaya, UM; abbreviated as UM or informally the Malayan University) is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest and highest ranking Malaysian institution of highe ...
,
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, sub ...
, conducting work on the
taxonomy
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
,
life cycles and fine structure of
trematodes
Trematoda is a class of flatworms known as flukes. They are obligate internal parasites with a complex life cycle requiring at least two hosts. The intermediate host, in which asexual reproduction occurs, is usually a snail. The definitive host ...
and
monogenea
Monogeneans are a group of ectoparasitic flatworms commonly found on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. They have a direct lifecycle and do not require an intermediate host. Adults are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female repro ...
ns and supervising BSc. Honours, MSc. and PhD candidates. He participated in expeditions to various parts of
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
and visited many countries in Eastern, Southeastern, Southern Asia, and America.
From 1967 to 1970 he was a Research Fellow (Habilitandenstipendiat) at the
Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
Habilitation in
Bochum was successfully concluded in 1970 with a thesis on the
morphology
Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to:
Disciplines
* Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts
* Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies ...
,
life cycle
Life cycle, life-cycle, or lifecycle may refer to:
Science and academia
*Biological life cycle, the sequence of life stages that an organism undergoes from birth to reproduction ending with the production of the offspring
* Life-cycle hypothesis ...
and
ultrastructure
Ultrastructure (or ultra-structure) is the architecture of cells and biomaterials that is visible at higher magnifications than found on a standard optical light microscope. This traditionally meant the resolution and magnification range of a co ...
of the
aspidogastrean ''Multicotyle purvisi''.
He moved to Australia in 1970 to assume a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the
University of Queensland, Australia, with research on the
taxonomy
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
, ecology,
life cycles and
ultrastructure
Ultrastructure (or ultra-structure) is the architecture of cells and biomaterials that is visible at higher magnifications than found on a standard optical light microscope. This traditionally meant the resolution and magnification range of a co ...
of the
aspidogastrean ''Lobatostoma manteri'' and various
monogenea
Monogeneans are a group of ectoparasitic flatworms commonly found on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. They have a direct lifecycle and do not require an intermediate host. Adults are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female repro ...
. During this period, he visited the
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...
as part of his work. In 1972 he was Reader in
Zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...
at the
University of Khartoum, Sudan.
1973–1976 he was Director of the
Heron Island Research Station,
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...
, conducting research on the
taxonomy
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
and ecology of
Monogenea
Monogeneans are a group of ectoparasitic flatworms commonly found on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. They have a direct lifecycle and do not require an intermediate host. Adults are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female repro ...
and
Aspidogastrea. The
University of Queensland
, mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work
, established =
, endowment = A$224.3 million
, budget = A$2.1 billion
, type = Public research university
, chancellor = Peter Varghese
, vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry
, city = B ...
awarded him the degree of DSc. in 1975 for his parasitological and zoological work. In 1976 he was appointed Lecturer at the
University of New England (UNE), Australia, subsequently promoted to Associate Professor and Professor (Personal Chair). In 2001 he became Professor emeritus.
Research and work
Rohde's main research fields are fine structure, ecology,
zoogeography
Zoogeography is the branch of the science of biogeography that is concerned with geographic distribution (present and past) of animal species.
As a multifaceted field of study, zoogeography incorporates methods of molecular biology, genetics, mor ...
,
parasitology, and
phylogeny
A phylogenetic tree (also phylogeny or evolutionary tree Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, MA.) is a branching diagram or a tree showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological spe ...
of
invertebrates
Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordat ...
, particularly of
Aspidogastrea,
Monogenea
Monogeneans are a group of ectoparasitic flatworms commonly found on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. They have a direct lifecycle and do not require an intermediate host. Adults are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female repro ...
,
Amphilinidea
Amphilinidae is a family of parasitic flatworms of the phylum Platyhelminthes. It is the only family in the monotypic order Amphilinidea. Amphilinids are Cestodes, yet differ from true tapeworms (Eucestoda) as their bodies are unsegmented and not ...
, and general aspects of ecology (niche theory, competition) and
zoogeography
Zoogeography is the branch of the science of biogeography that is concerned with geographic distribution (present and past) of animal species.
As a multifaceted field of study, zoogeography incorporates methods of molecular biology, genetics, mor ...
(latitudinal gradients). He supervised many BSc.Honours, MSc. and PhD candidates in these fields, and, jointly with Tim Littlewood at the Natural History Museum London, Nikki Watson, UNE and others, studied the
phylogeny
A phylogenetic tree (also phylogeny or evolutionary tree Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, MA.) is a branching diagram or a tree showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological spe ...
of
Platyhelminthes
The flatworms, flat worms, Platyhelminthes, or platyhelminths (from the Greek πλατύ, ''platy'', meaning "flat" and ἕλμινς (root: ἑλμινθ-), ''helminth-'', meaning "worm") are a phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegme ...
, using
ultrastructure
Ultrastructure (or ultra-structure) is the architecture of cells and biomaterials that is visible at higher magnifications than found on a standard optical light microscope. This traditionally meant the resolution and magnification range of a co ...
,
life cycle
Life cycle, life-cycle, or lifecycle may refer to:
Science and academia
*Biological life cycle, the sequence of life stages that an organism undergoes from birth to reproduction ending with the production of the offspring
* Life-cycle hypothesis ...
and DNA data.
His most important scientific contributions are on the following topics:
* Marine
parasitology.
*
Latitudinal gradients in species diversity
Species richness, or biodiversity, increases from the poles to the tropics for a wide variety of terrestrial and marine organisms, often referred to as the latitudinal diversity gradient. The latitudinal diversity gradient is one of the most widel ...
(
hypothesis of effective evolutionary time).
* Niche theory (
vacant niches, Mating hypothesis of niche restriction).
*
Phylogeny
A phylogenetic tree (also phylogeny or evolutionary tree Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, MA.) is a branching diagram or a tree showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological spe ...
of
Platyhelminthes
The flatworms, flat worms, Platyhelminthes, or platyhelminths (from the Greek πλατύ, ''platy'', meaning "flat" and ἕλμινς (root: ἑλμινθ-), ''helminth-'', meaning "worm") are a phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegme ...
and other
invertebrates
Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordat ...
using
ultrastructure
Ultrastructure (or ultra-structure) is the architecture of cells and biomaterials that is visible at higher magnifications than found on a standard optical light microscope. This traditionally meant the resolution and magnification range of a co ...
and DNA.
*
Ultrastructure
Ultrastructure (or ultra-structure) is the architecture of cells and biomaterials that is visible at higher magnifications than found on a standard optical light microscope. This traditionally meant the resolution and magnification range of a co ...
of
spermatogenesis,
protonephridia
The nephridium (plural ''nephridia'') is an invertebrate organ, found in pairs and performing a function similar to the vertebrate kidneys (which originated from the chordate nephridia). Nephridia remove metabolic wastes from an animal's body. Neph ...
, sensory receptors of
Platyhelminthes
The flatworms, flat worms, Platyhelminthes, or platyhelminths (from the Greek πλατύ, ''platy'', meaning "flat" and ἕλμινς (root: ἑλμινθ-), ''helminth-'', meaning "worm") are a phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegme ...
.
*
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
in particular of
trematodes
Trematoda is a class of flatworms known as flukes. They are obligate internal parasites with a complex life cycle requiring at least two hosts. The intermediate host, in which asexual reproduction occurs, is usually a snail. The definitive host ...
and
monogeneans
Monogeneans are a group of ectoparasitic flatworms commonly found on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. They have a direct lifecycle and do not require an intermediate host. Adults are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female repro ...
(many new species, 11 new genera and 2 new subfamilies, for one new genus a new family has now been established).
*
Life cycles of
Aspidogastrea and
Amphilinidea
Amphilinidae is a family of parasitic flatworms of the phylum Platyhelminthes. It is the only family in the monotypic order Amphilinidea. Amphilinids are Cestodes, yet differ from true tapeworms (Eucestoda) as their bodies are unsegmented and not ...
.
Rohde was the first who supplied quantitative evidence for the enormous species diversity of marine
parasites
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...
in tropical (coral reef) waters, and for differences in
latitudinal gradients between endo- and ectoparasites. His
hypothesis of effective evolutionary time was an important stimulus for the development of the
metabolic theory of ecology
The metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) is the ecological component of the more general Metabolic Scaling Theory and Kleiber's law. It posits that the metabolic rate of organisms is the fundamental biological rate that governs most observed pattern ...
. His work on the
phylogeny
A phylogenetic tree (also phylogeny or evolutionary tree Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, MA.) is a branching diagram or a tree showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological spe ...
of
Platyhelminthes
The flatworms, flat worms, Platyhelminthes, or platyhelminths (from the Greek πλατύ, ''platy'', meaning "flat" and ἕλμινς (root: ἑλμινθ-), ''helminth-'', meaning "worm") are a phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegme ...
provided evidence that the Neodermata (major groups of parasitic
Platyhelminthes
The flatworms, flat worms, Platyhelminthes, or platyhelminths (from the Greek πλατύ, ''platy'', meaning "flat" and ἕλμινς (root: ἑλμινθ-), ''helminth-'', meaning "worm") are a phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegme ...
) have split early off the other
flatworm groups. His demonstration of the great number and variety of sensory receptors and of the great complexity of nervous systems in some parasitic
flatworms
The flatworms, flat worms, Platyhelminthes, or platyhelminths (from the Greek πλατύ, ''platy'', meaning "flat" and ἕλμινς (root: ἑλμινθ-), ''helminth-'', meaning "worm") are a phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegment ...
is convincing evidence that sacculinization (reduction in complexity) of
parasites
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...
is not a general phenomenon. Rohde's work on the ecology of marine
parasites
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...
has shown that most
parasites
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...
live in largely non-saturated niche space, i.e., that most niches are vacant; proceeding from these findings, he concluded that equilibrium conditions in animal communities are the exception rather than the rule (discussed in detail in his book ''Nonequilibrium Ecology'').
After retirement he continues to publish scientific papers and books. He has cooperated with Dietrich Stauffer, a theoretical physicist, in using mathematical models to investigate latitudinal gradients in species diversity and niche width. He is running two blogs with articles and posts on science, politics and philosophy and.
Honors
*
Clarke Medal
The Clarke Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of New South Wales, the oldest learned society in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, for distinguished work in the Natural sciences.
The medal is named in honour of the Reverend William Branw ...
of the Royal Society of New South Wales (1996, Zoology).
* Inaugural Award for Excellence in Science of the Vice-Chancellor,
University of New England (UNE), Australia (1996).
[Homepage at University of New England (UNE)](_blank)
* Fellow of various scientific societies and institutes including th
Australian Society for Parasitology
* Many genera and species as well as a subfamily were named after Klaus Rohde to honour him for his taxonomic work.
Personal life
Rohde lived and worked in
Münster/Westfalen (Germany), Brackwede/
Bielefeld (Germany),
Bochum (Germany),
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia),
Khartoum (Sudan),
Heron Island (
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...
) and
Brisbane (Australia). He now lives in
Armidale (Australia).
Bibliography
Rohde has published about 480 scientific papers in international journals and book chapters, as well as several books.
Books
*
*
*
*
Catalog Information at Cambridge University Press
/ref>
The first edition of Ecology of Marine Parasites, University of Queensland Press 1982, has been translated into Malay-Indonesian: Ekologi Parasit Laut, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur.
Selected papers and book chapters
* 1966 ''Sense receptors of Multicotyle purvisi Dawes (Trematoda, Aspidobothria)''. Nature, 211, 820–822.
* 1972 ''The Aspidogastrea, especially Multicotyle purvisi Dawes, 1941''. Advances in Parasitology, 10, 77–151.
* 1975 ''Fine structure of the Monogenea, especially Polystomoides''. Advances in Parasitology, 13, 1–33.
* 1976 ''Species diversity of parasites on the Great Barrier Reef''. Zeitschrift für Parasitenkunde, 50, 93–94.
* 1977 ''A non-competitive mechanism responsible for restricting niches''. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 199, 164–172
* 1978 ''Latitudinal differences in species diversity and their causes. I. A review of the hypotheses explaining the gradients''. Biologisches Zentralblatt, 97, 393–403.
* 1978 ''Latitudinal gradients in species diversity and their causes. II. Marine parasitological evidence for a time hypothesis''. Biologisches Zentralblatt, 97, 405–418.
* 1979 ''A critical evaluation of intrinsic and extrinsic factors responsible for niche restriction in parasites''. American Naturalist, 114, 648–671.
* 1984 ''Helminth Diseases of Marine Fishes''. In Diseases of Marine Animals, vol. IV (ed. O Kinne.). Biol. Anst. Helgoland, 193–320, 435–501.
* 1991 ''Intra- and interspecific interactions in low density populations in resource-rich habitats''. Oikos, 60, 91–104.
* 1992 '' Latitudinal gradients in species diversity: the search for the primary cause''. Oikos, 65, 514–527.
* 1993 with M Heap and D Heap. ''Rapoport's rule does not apply to marine teleosts and cannot explain latitudinal gradients in species richness''. American Naturalist, 142, 1–16.
* 1994 ''The minor groups of parasitic Platyhelminthes''. Advances in Parasitology, 33, 145–234.
* 1994 ''Niche restriction in parasites: proximate and ultimate causes''. Parasitology, 109, S69-S84.
* 1997 ''The origins of parasitism in the Platyhelminthes: a summary interpreted on the basis of recent literature''. International Journal for Parasitology, 27, 739–746.
* 1998 with M Heap. ''Latitudinal differences in species and community richness and in community structure of metazoan endo- and ectoparasites of marine teleost fish''. International Journal for Parasitology, 28, 461–474.
* 1999 with D T J Littlewood and K A Clough. ''The interrelationships of all major groups of Platyhelminthes – phylogenetic evidence from morphology and molecules''. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 66, 75–114.
* 1999 with D T J Littlewood, R A Bray and E A Herniou. ''Phylogeny of the Platyhelminthes and the evolution of parasitism''. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 68, 257–287.
* 1999 with I D Whittington and L A Chisholm. ''The larvae of Monogenea (Platyhelminthes)''. Advances in Parasitology, 44, 139–232.
* 2001 ''The Aspidogastrea, an archaic group of Platyhelminthes''. In: Interrelationships of the Platyhelminthes, pp. 159–167. (eds. D T J Littlewood and R A Bray). Taylor & Francis, London and New York.
* 2001 ''Protonephridia as phylogenetic characters''. In: Interrelationships of the Platyhelminthes, pp. 203–216. (eds. D T J Littlewood and R A Bray). Taylor & Francis., London and New York.
* 2002 with N J Gotelli. ''Co-occurrence of ectoparasites of marine fishes: null model analysis''. Ecology Letters, 5, 86–94.
* 2002 ''Ecology and biogeography of marine parasites''. Advances in Marine Biology, 43, 1–86.
* 2006 with D Stauffer. ''Simulation of geographical trends in Chowdhury ecosystem model''. Advances in Complex Systems 8, 451–464.
* 2008 with P P Rohde. ''How to measure host specificity''. Vie et Milieu (Life and Environment) 58, 121–124.
* 2010 ''Marine parasite diversity and environmental gradients''. In: S Morand and B Krasnov (eds.). The Biogeography of Host-Parasite Interactions. Oxford University Press, pp. 73–88.
References
External links
at the University of New England (UNE), Australia
In Tree of Life
Rohde, K. (1999) (eds. D R Maddison and W P Maddison)
In Tree of Life
Rohde, K. (1999) (eds. D R Maddison and W P Maddison)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rohde, Klaus
1932 births
20th-century German biologists
Australian biologists
Living people
People from Brandenburg an der Havel