Norman I. Platnick
Encyclopedia
Norman I. Platnick is an American
arachnologist, and the Peter J. Solomon Family Curator of the invertebrate zoology department of the American Museum of Natural History
. A 1973 Ph.D.
recipient at Harvard University
,
Platnick has described thousands of species of spider
s in various locales around the world, ranging from the dwarf tarantula
s of North America, to the white-tailed spider
s of the genus Lampona in Australia
. He is also the maintainer of the World Spider Catalog, a website hosted by the AMNH which tracks the arachnology literature, and attempts to maintain a comprehensive list, sorted taxonomically, of every species of spider which has been formally described. In 2007 he received the Bonnet award (see Pierre Bonnet
) of the International Society of Arachnology
in recognition for his work on the catalog.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
arachnologist, and the Peter J. Solomon Family Curator of the invertebrate zoology department of the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
. A 1973 Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
recipient at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
,
Platnick has described thousands of species of spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s in various locales around the world, ranging from the dwarf tarantula
Dwarf tarantula
Dwarf tarantulas, also known as sheet funnel-web spiders are a type of spider from the family Mecicobothriidae. Dwarf tarantulas are one of several families of the sub-order Mygalomorphae; this larger group also includes the true tarantulas....
s of North America, to the white-tailed spider
White-tailed spider
White-tailed spiders are medium-sized spiders native to southern and eastern Australia, and so named because of the whitish tips at the end of their abdomens. Common species are Lampona cylindrata and Lampona murina. Both these species have been introduced to New Zealand.White-tailed spiders are...
s of the genus Lampona in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He is also the maintainer of the World Spider Catalog, a website hosted by the AMNH which tracks the arachnology literature, and attempts to maintain a comprehensive list, sorted taxonomically, of every species of spider which has been formally described. In 2007 he received the Bonnet award (see Pierre Bonnet
Pierre Bonnet (naturalist)
Pierre Bonnet was a French arachnologist who wrote Bibliographia Araneorum, an immense work listing publications on spiders. It was the result of forty years work....
) of the International Society of Arachnology
International Society of Arachnology
The International Society of Arachnology promotes the study of arachnids and the exchange of information among researchers in this field. It acts as an umbrella organisation for regional societies and individuals interested in spiders, and related animals, and organises an International Congress...
in recognition for his work on the catalog.
Notable publications
(1973): A Revision of the North American Spiders of the Family Anyphaenidae. Ph.D. thesis, Harvard University. & (1979): A revision of the spider family Mecicobothriidae (Araneae, Mygalomorphae)." American Museum novitates 2687 Abstract, PDF (1990): Spinneret Morphology and the Phylogeny of Ground Spiders (Araneae, Gnaphosoidea). American Museum Novitates 2978: 1-42. PDF (33Mb), , , and (1991): Spinneret Morphology and the Phylogeny of Haplogyne Spiders (Araneae, Araneomorphae). American Museum Novitates 3016: 1-73. PDF (50Mb) (1998): Advances in Spider Taxonomy 1992-1995, with Redescriptions 1940-1980. New York Entomological Society 976 pp., , & (1999): Towards a Phylogeny of Entelegyne Spiders (Araneae, Araneomorphae, Entelegynae). Journal of Arachnology 27: 53-63. PDF- Dimensions Of Biodiversity: Targeting Megadiverse Groups (from: Cracraft, J. & Grifo, F.T. (eds.) (1999). The Living Planet In Crisis - Biodiversity Science and Policy. Columbia University Press. (2000): A Relimitation and Revision of the Australasian Ground Spider Family Lamponidae (Araneae: Gnaphosoidea). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 245: 1-330. Web version - Abstract, PDF