Werner Carlos Augusto Bokermann (4 July 1929 - 1 April 1995) was a Brazilian zoologist who specialized in herpetology and ornithology. He collected and described numerous new species.
Life
Bokerman was born in
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
. After schooling at
Botucatu
Botucatu is a city in the southeastern region of Brazil and is located from São Paulo, the capital of the state of São Paulo. It has an estimated population of 148,130 (as of 2020) in an area of . It lies on the top of a plateau ( high). Botuca ...
he became an assistant in the department of zoology under the agriculture department. He then headed the herpetology department with the secretary being the ornithologist
Hélío Ferraz de Almeida Camargo (1922-2006). He worked along with
Paulo Vanzolini
Paulo Emilio Vanzolini (; April 25, 1924 – April 28, 2013) was a Brazilian scientist and music composer. He was best known for his samba compositions, including the famous ''"Ronda", "Volta por Cima"'', and ''"Boca da Noite"'', and for his sci ...
(1924-2013) and served as curator for the amphibia until 1993. He published nearly 83 papers, describing nearly 70 new species. He maintained a private collection from 1956 and received a Guggenheim fellowship to study collections in
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. In 1969 he worked in the ornithology department of the Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo. He enrolled for higher studies in 1977, graduating in 1978, and obtaining a doctorate in 1991 at the age of 61 with studies on ''
Tinamus solitarius''.
[ (in Portuguese).]
Eponymy
Bokermann is named in numerous taxa including: ''
Simpsonichthys bokermanni
''Simpsonichthys'' is a genus of killifish from the family Rivulidae the species of which are endemic to temporary freshwater habitats like ponds in the upper Paraná, upper Araguaia, upper Jequitinhonha and São Francisco basins on the centra ...
'', ''
lonchophylla bokermanni
Bokermann's nectar bat (''Lonchophylla bokermanni'') is a bat species from South America. It is endemic to Brazil. It feeds on nectar, and is listed as an endangered species.
Etymology
This species was discovered by Ivan Sazima and Marlies Sazima ...
'', ''
Dendropsophus bokermanni'', ''
Phrynomedusa bokermanni'', ''
Aparasphenodon bokermanni'', ''
Caecilia bokermanni'', ''
Pterolebias bokermanni'', ''
Neobidessus bokermanni'', ''
Protometers bokermanni'', ''
Canthidium bokermanni'' and the rare Araripe manakin ''(
Antilophia bokermanni'').
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bokermann, Werner
1995 deaths
1929 births
Brazilian ornithologists
Herpetologists
20th-century Brazilian zoologists