Rüdiger Bieler (born 1955 in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

, Germany) is a German-American biologist whose primary scientific field of study is

malacology Malacology, from Ancient Greek μαλακός (''malakós''), meaning "soft", and λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is the branch of invertebrate zoology that deals with the study of the Mollusca (molluscs or mollusks), the second-largest ...

, the study of

mollusks Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The num ...

Training and career

Bieler studied biology, geography, and biology education at the

University of Hamburg The University of Hamburg (, also referred to as UHH) is a public university, public research university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by combining the previous General Lecture System ('':de:Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen, ...

(Germany), where he held a scholarship of the Studienstiftung. After extensive field research in South Africa (with Richard Kilburn) he received a PhD (DSc) degree in

Zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...

in 1985 under Otto Kraus. Following several

postdoctoral research A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). Postdocs most commonly, but not always, have a temporary acade ...

fellowships under the mentorship of Richard S. Houbrick and Mary E. Rice (

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

) at the

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. With 4.4 ...

(1985-1986), the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Florida (1986-1987), and a NATO postdoctoral fellowship (1987-1988, also at the Smithsonian Marine Station), he became

Curator A curator (from , meaning 'to take care') is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular ins ...

of Malacology at the

Delaware Museum of Natural History The Delaware Museum of Nature & Science (DMNH, formerly Delaware Museum of Natural History) is a museum located in Wilmington, Delaware. The museum was founded in 1957 by John Eleuthere du Pont near Greenville, Delaware; it opened in 1972 on a s ...

. Since 1990, he is a Curator of

Invertebrate Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...

Zoology at the

Field Museum of Natural History The Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), also known as The Field Museum, is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The museum is popular for the size and quality of its educationa ...

in Chicago (following predecessors Fritz Haas and

Alan Solem George Alan Solem (21 June 1931 – 26 March 1990),Coan E. V., Kabat A. R. & Petit R. E. (2009). ''2,400 years of malacology, 6th ed.'', February 15, 2009, 830 pp. + 32 pp. nnex of Collations American Malacological Society: http://www.malacologi ...

). He also is a faculty member of the Committee of

Evolutionary Biology Evolutionary biology is the subfield of biology that studies the evolutionary processes such as natural selection, common descent, and speciation that produced the diversity of life on Earth. In the 1930s, the discipline of evolutionary biolo ...

of the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

Research

Much of Bieler's taxonomic research work has focused on marine

gastropods Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and from the land. Ther ...

(sea snails), especially on sundials (

Architectonicidae Architectonicidae, common name the staircase shells or sundials, are a family of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the informal group Lower Heterobranchia (= Allogastropoda) of the clade Heterobranchia. The extinct families † Amphit ...

) and worm-snails ( Vermetidae). His evolutionary studies first concentrated on Gastropoda and later extended to

Bivalvia Bivalvia () or bivalves, in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class (biology), class of aquatic animal, aquatic molluscs (marine and freshwater) that have laterally compressed soft bodies enclosed b ...

and included the earliest application of computer-assisted phylogenetic (

cladistic Cladistics ( ; from Ancient Greek 'branch') is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is ...

) analyses in that group. He was the lead author on a revised classification for all bivalves, see Taxonomy of the Bivalvia (Bouchet, Rocroi, Bieler, Carter & Coan, 2010), and on major work providing a new hypotheses of the branching pattern in the Bivalve

Tree of life (biology) The tree of life or universal tree of life is a metaphor, conceptual model, and research tool used to explore the evolution of life and describe the relationships between organisms, both living and extinct, as described in a famous passage in Ch ...

based on both morphological-anatomical and molecular data. He serves as an editor for the phylum

Mollusca Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum ...

on the

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...

(WoRMS) and as a Chief Editor for MolluscaBase. Bieler led collaborative efforts in molluscan systematics and evolutionary biology supported by the

National Science Foundation The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...

(NSF) serving as Principal Investigator of Partnership for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy, PEET(PEET-Bivalves) and the Tree of Life project. He organized various international scientific symposia resulting in

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

symposium volumes on molluscan systematics and evolution. He and collaborators developed a series of International Marine Bivalve Workshops that paired students and early-career faculty with leading scientists during intensive fieldwork experiences, resulting in jointly published peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals. A regional focus of his work has been on the invertebrate animal diversity of South Florida and the

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral island, coral cay archipelago off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami a ...

. He is affiliated with The Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration of Mote Marine Laboratory. The research concentrates on the development and documentation of baseline data of regional diversity, allowing the recognition of faunal changes due to human impact. Bieler's work in the Florida Keys encompasses an active participation in coral reef restoration efforts,Grande, L (2017) Curators. Behind the Scenes of Natural History Museums. Chicago University Press, 412pp. and the survey and monitoring of shipwrecks off the Florida Keys for invasive marine species.

Honorary appointments

Bieler held honorary appointments with various research institutions, including the

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, and the

American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 21 interconn ...

in New York. He was elected President of both the American Malacological Society (AMU/AMS, 1996) and the International Malacological Society “ Unitas Malacologia” (1995-1998) and organized their congresses in Chicago in 1996 and Washington, DC. in 1998. Bieler has served as President of the Institute of Malacology (publishers of

Malacologia ''Malacologia'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of malacology, the study of mollusks. The journal publishes articles in the fields of molluscan systematics, ecology, population ecology, genetics, molecular genetics, evolution, an ...

- International Journal of Malacology) and as editor or associated editor for numerous scientific serials, including the

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society The ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering zoology published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Linnean Society. The editor-in-chief is Maarten Christenhusz (Linnean Society) ...

. He is a Fellow of the

Linnean Society of London The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript a ...

. Actively involved in the administration of

natural history Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

museums, he served in various roles including Zoology Department Chair (Field Museum, 1998-2002) and Board Trustee of the

(1991-1999).

Exhibitions and publications

Bieler has been a key contributor to several major museum exhibitions, including Pearls, Evolution on the Half Shell and Specimens!. His own work has been featured in permanent museum exhibitions, such as Abbott Hall of Conservation - Restoring Earth, in a book about the curatorial profession, as well as

PBS NewsHour ''PBS News Hour'', previously stylized as ''PBS NewsHour'', is the news division of PBS and an American daily evening news broadcasting#television, television news program broadcast on over 350 PBS Network affiliate#Member stations, member stat ...

and PBS Changing Seas episodes. He has published, alone or in collaboration with others, more than 100 books, monographs, and articles.

Taxa of mollusks described and named

Bieler has described and named, alone or with collaborators, various taxa of mollusks new to science (compiled from MolluscaBase.org, there with full literature links * ''Adelphotectonica'' Bieler, 1987 * ''Cupolaconcha'' Golding, Bieler, Rawlings & Collins, 2014 * ''Toulminella'' Bieler & Dockery III, 2007 * ''Ammonicera mexicana'' Sartori & Bieler, 2014 * ''Architectonica arcana'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Architectonica gualtierii'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Cornirostra floridana'' Bieler & Mikkelsen, 1998 * ''Ctenoides obliquus'' Mikkelsen & Bieler, 2003 * ''Cupolaconcha guana'' Golding, Bieler, Rawlings & Collins, 2014 * ''Cupolaconcha sinaiensis'' Golding, Bieler, Rawlings & Collins, 2014 * ''Divariscintilla cordiformis'' Mikkelsen & Bieler, 1992 * ''Divariscintilla octotentaculata'' Mikkelsen & Bieler, 1992 * ''Divariscintilla yoyo'' Mikkelsen & Bieler, 1989 * ''Granosolarium gemmiferum'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Heliacus hyperionis'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Heliacus oceanitis'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Heliacus turritus'' Bieler, 1987 * Imparidentia Bieler, Mikkelsen & Giribet, 2014 * ''Mathilda boucheti'' Bieler, 1995 * ''Mathilda maculosa'' Bieler, 1995 * ''Novastoa bahamensis'' Golding, Bieler, Rawlings & Collins, 2014 * ''Novastoa caboverdensis'' Golding, Bieler, Rawlings & Collins, 2014 * ''Pseudotorinia armillata'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Pseudotorinia sestertius'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Solatisonax kilburni'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Solatisonax propinqua'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Spirolaxis argonauta'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Spirolaxis exornatus'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Stephopoma levispinosum'' Bieler, 1997 * ''Tuba fuscocincta'' Bieler, 1995 * ''Ceraesignum'' Golding, Bieler, Rawlings & Collins, 2014 * ''Pyrgoheliacus'' Bieler, 1987 * ''Ammonicera'' mcleani Sartori & Bieler, 2014 * ''Ammonicera sleursi'' Sartori & Bieler, 2014 * ''Architectonica consobrina'' Bieler1993 * ''Ceraesignum robinsoncrusoei'' Golding, Bieler, Rawlings & Collins, 2014 * ''Ctenoides miamiensis'' Mikkelsen & Bieler, 2003 * ''Ctenoides vokesi'' Mikkelsen & Bieler, 2003 * ''Cupolaconcha maldivensis'' Golding, Bieler, Rawlings & Collins, 2014 * ''Dendropoma expolitum'' Golding, Bieler, Rawlings & Collins, 2014 * ''Divariscintilla luteocrinita'' Mikkelsen & Bieler, 1992 * ''Divariscintilla troglodytes'' Mikkelsen & Bieler, 1989 * ''Granosolarium excavatum'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Heliacus geminus'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Heliacus nereidis'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Heliacus proteus'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Heliacus verdensis'' Bieler, 1984 * ''Mathilda houbricki'' Bieler, 1995 * ''Mathilda richeri'' Bieler, 1995 * ''Novastoa batavia'' Golding, Bieler, Rawlings & Collins, 2014 * ''Novastoa pholetor'' Golding, Bieler, Rawlings & Collins, 2014 * ''Pseudotorinia bullisi'' Bieler, Merrill & Boss, 1985 * ''Pseudotorinia yaroni'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Solatisonax orba'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Solatisonax rehderi'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Spirolaxis cornuarietis'' Bieler, 1993 * ''Stephopoma abrolhosense'' Bieler, 1997 * ''Tenagodus barbadensis'' Bieler, 2004 * ''Thylacodes vandyensis'' Bieler, Rawlings & Collins, 2017

Species named for Bieler

Several recent and fossil species were named in his honor, including: * ''Architectonica bieleri'' Perrilliat, 2013 (Architectonicidae: Late Paleocene, Baja California, Mexico) * ''Haplocochlias bieleri'' Rubio, Fernández-Garcés & Rolán, 2013 (Skeneidae: Recent, Florida) * ''Mathilda bieleri'' Smiriglio & Mariottini, 2007 (Mathildidae: Recent, Mediterranean) * ''Minidonta bieleri'' Sartori, Gargominy & Fontaine, 2013 (Endodontidae: Recent, presumed extinct, French Polynesia) * ''Niveria bieleri'' Fehse, Greco & Bystrica, 2016 (Triviidae: Recent: Florida Keys) * ''Rinaldoconchus bieleri'' Bandel, 1996 (Architectonicidae: Upper Triassic, Europe) * ''Solatisonax bieleri'' Nielsen & Frassinetti, 2007 (Architectonicidae: Miocene, Chile) * ''Solatisonax rudigerbieleri'' Tenório, Barros, Francisco & Silva, 2011 (Architectonicidae: Recent, Brazil) * ''Stephopoma ruedigeri'' Landau, da Silva & Heitz, 2016 (Siliquariidae: Lower-Middle Miocene, Venezuela) * ''Vermetus bieleri'' Scuderi, Swinnen & Templado, 2017 (Vermetidae: Recent, Eastern Atlantic)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bieler, Rudiger 21st-century American biologists 21st-century American zoologists 20th-century German zoologists German malacologists American malacologists American evolutionary biologists Fellows of the Linnean Society of London 1955 births University of Hamburg alumni Studienstiftung alumni University of Chicago faculty Living people German emigrants to the United States Scientists from Hamburg German expatriates in South Africa