Dr. Danilo Harms
Abteilungsleiter Arachnologie
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Office
Contact
Research Arachnology
Collection Arachnology
Research interest
I’m involved in a wide range of research projects relating to spiders, but also the lesser-known arachnid groups such as pseudoscorpions, whip spiders and schizomids. My team and I are particularly interested in studies of arachnid biodiversity in a wider context: i) paleontological studies of selected groups to infer patterns of character trait evolution and biome change over time; ii) phylogeographic and phylogenetic analyses to understand the structure and distribution of arachnid diversity as well as the underlying processes that shape this diversity; and iii) modelling approaches that seek to evaluate the future of arachnids in a changing world. I’m a museum scientist and maintain a strong interest in systematics and taxonomy but frequently collaborate with ecologists and paleontologists to address these topics. I’m passionate about new approaches to specimen curation and actively involved with establishing tissue and DNA collections at out museum. I promote our research in the wider community and provide expertise to industry, media and decision makers.
Scientific Career
- Since May 2016 Head of Department Arachnology and Curator of the Chelicerata and Myriapoda collections
- June 2014-March 2016 Principal Zoologist, Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, Perth, Australia
- 2009-2014 EIPRS scholarship from the Australian Government and two PhD scholarships from the University of Western Australia
- 2009 Scholarship of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (rejected)
- 2008-2009 Freelancer at the Museum of Natural History in Berlin, Department of Arachnology
- 2006-2007 Scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
- 2006 Research stay at the Western Australian Museum in Perth, Australia
- 2005 several jobs as a student assistant at the Free University Berlin
Academic Training and Degrees
- 2009 - 2014 PhD, Thesis title ‘The evolution of mesic biomes: insights from an ancient lineage of arachnids’; Supervisors: Prof. Dr. J. Dale Roberts, University of Western Australia and Prof. Dr. Mark S. Harvey, Western Australian Museum, Perth
- 2007 - 2008 Diploma (MSc) ‘Phylogeny of pirate spiders (Arachnida: Araneae: Mimetidae) with reference to the Australasian fauna’; Supervisors: Prof. Dr. T. Bartolomaeus (Free University Berlin) and Prof. Dr. Hannelore Hoch (Humboldt-University Berlin)
- 2004 - 2007 Master Course Biology at the Free University Berlin and Teacher Course (Chemistry and Biology) at the Free University Berlin and Technical University Berlin
- 2000 - 2004 Bachelor Course Biology at the Free University Berlin and Teacher Course (Biology) at the Humboldt University Berlin and Free University Berlin
Publications
- Dunlop, J.A., Kothoff, U., Hammel, J., Ahrens, J. & Harms, D. (2018) Arachnids in Bitterfeld amber: A unique fauna of fossils from the heart of Europe or simply old friends? Evolutionary Systematics 2, in press.
- Harms, D. & Dupérré, N. (2018) An annotated type catalogue of the camel spiders (Arachnida: Solifugae) held in the Zoological Museum Hamburg. Zootaxa, 4375, 1-58.
- Harvey, M.S., Cosgrove, J.G., Harms, D., Selden, P.A., Shih, C. & Wang, C.-C. (2018) The oldest chthonioid pseudoscorpion (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones: Chthonioidea: Chthoniidae): a new genus and species from the Late Cretaceous Myanmar amber. Zoologischer Anzeiger, in press.
- Harms, D. (2018) The origins of diversity in ancient landscapes: deep phylogeographic structuring in a pseudoscorpion (Pseudotyrannochthoniidae: Pseudotyrannochthonius) reflects Plio-Pleistocene climate fluctuations. Zoologischer Anzeiger, in press.
- Harvey, M.S., Rix, M.G., Harms, D., Giribet, G., Vink, C.J. & Walter, D.E. (2017) The biogeography of Australasian arachnids. Handbook of Australasian Biogeography (ed. by M.C. Ebach), pp. 241-268. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL .
- Baehr, B., Harms, D., Dupérré, N. & Raven, R. (2017) The Australian Lynx Spiders (Araneae: Oxyopidae: Oxyopes) of the Godeffroy Collection, including the description of a new species. Evolutionary Systematics, 1: 11-37
- Baehr, B.C., Raven, R. & Harms, D. (2017) “High Tide or Low Tide”: Desis bobmarleyi sp. n., a new spider from coral reefs in Australia’s Sunshine State and its relative from Sāmoa (Araneae, Desidae, Desis). Evolutionary Systematics, 1, 111-120.
- Framenau, V.W. & Harms, D. (2017) A new species of Mouse Spider (Actinopodidae, Missulena) from the Goldfields region of Western Australia. Evolutionary Systematics, 1, 39-46.
- Harms, D. & J.A., D. (2017) The fossil history of pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones). Fossil Record, 20, 215-238.
- Townley, M.A. & Harms, D. (2017) Comparative study of spinning field development in two species of the pirate spider genus Australomimetus (Araneae: Mimetidae). Evolutionary Systematics, 1, 47-75.
Teaching
- since 2017 “Evolution and systematics of terrestrial arthropods“: Module with Lectures, Seminar and Practical Course
- since 2016 “Organisation and morphology of the animal kingdom“ at the University Hamburg: Lectures and practical course for BSc students
- since 2016 „Ecology I: Zoological Field Course“ for BSc candidates, University Hamburg
Student Supervision
- 2018: Anna-Louisa Wriedt: Pseudoscorpions from Cretaecous Burmese amber; Systematics and Taxonomy; Bachelorarbeit (co-betreut durch Dr. Ulrich Kotthoff)
- 2018: Sandro Müller: Schizomids from Cretaecous Burmese amber: Systematics and Taxonomy; Bachelorarbeit (co-betreut durch Dr. Ulrich Kotthoff)
- 2018: Michelle Lorenz: Pseudoscorpions in Bitterfeld amber: taxonomy of chthoniid pseudoscorpions; Bachelorarbeit
- 2017: Jennifer Ahrens: Pseudoscorpions in Bitterfeld amber: Synchotron imaging techniques and 3D reconstruction; Masterarbeit
- 2017: Kerstin Dreczko: Spiders of Rainforest Transformation Systems in Sumatra, Indonesia; Bachelorarbeit (co-betreut durch Prof. Dr. Mathilde Cordellier)
Editorial tasks
- since 2017: Editor for the journals Zoosystematics & Evolution and Evolutionary Systematics
- since 2016: Subject editor for the journal Zootaxa (Section Amaurobioidea: Agelenidae, Amaurobiidae, Titanoecidae, Amphinectidae)
Professional activities
- since 2016: Board member of the German Arachnological Society (AraGes)
Memberships
- Australasian Arachnological Society
- International Society of Myriapodology
- AraGes – Arachnologische Gesellschaft e.V.
- International Society of Arachnology
- Society of Australian Systematic Biologsts
Field excursions
- 2017: Ghana, Westafrika
- 2014-2016: mehr als 30 mehrwöchige Aufsammlungen im ariden Westaustralien (Pilbara, Midwest, Goldfields, Great Victoria Desert)
- 2011: Dreimonatige Forschungsreise an der Australischen Ostküste (South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland)
- 2010: Forschungsreise nach Tasmanien, Australien
- 2010: Forschungsreise nach Japan, Südkorea und Russland
- 2006: Forschungsaufenthalt am Western Australian Musuem in Perth, Australien