Christian Kropf: Research projects
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Phone: ++41(0)31 350 72 60
Current projects:
Anatomical basis for leg extension in spiders: By means of histological serial sections,
3D-reconstruction of muscular-exosceletal systems, high-speed filming of running spiders,
and direct measurements of stiffness of the exosceleton we are currently clarifying the exact mechanism
that enables a spider to increase it’s internal pressure and to perform leg extension and fine regulation
of leg movements. Part of this work is done in collaboration with the working group of Prof. R. Blickhan,
university of Jena, Germany.
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Systematics of oonopid spiders:
On the basis of rich preserved material of these haplogyne
spiders from the tropics and subtropics (Coll. C. Deeleman and H.-G. Müller) we are working on a
taxonomic revision of this badly known family of spiders.
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Functional anatomy of haplogyne genital organs:
According to a traditional view, Haplogynae are
spiders with simple genital organs. However, as we found out, this is clearly wrong. First results show
that the complexity of these genitalia may have been shaped under sexual selection by cryptic female
choice. This project is the doctoral thesis of PhD student Matthias Burger.
How does a garden spider avoid to get stuck in it’s own capture web?
In a diploma thesis
(Jan Keller) we investigate this old problem in arachnology by means of experimentally testing the
adhesiveness of differentially treated spider and insects legs in the sticky capture spiral of an
orbweaving spider.
Araneus diadematus >
Taxonomy of Central European Eresus: In collaboration with J. Walter (Neuhausen, Switzerland)
we are investigating the species problems concerning the genus Eresus in Central Europe.
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Internet identification key of Central European Spiders: For the first time an Internet identification
key of a species-rich taxon that includes all known species from a certain geographic region is presented.
We are doing this editorial work in collaboration with a number of specialists, the mentor of the
project, Prof. W. Nentwig (Bern University), Dr. A. Hänggi (Natural History Museum Basel, Switzerland)
and Theo Blick (Hummeltal, Germany). http://www.araneae.unibe.ch
Faunistics of Central European Spiders: In collaboration with Dr. A. Hänggi
(Natural History Museum Basel, Switzerland) and the Centre Suisse de Cartographie de la Faune
(Neuchâtel, Switzerland) we are beginning with the work for an updated edition of the Swiss spider
catalog.
Taxonomic value and functional morphology of scorpion spermatophores:Alain Jacob describes
in his diploma thesis the complex hemispermatophores of euscorpiid scorpions in order to find
discriminating characters for species identification and to clarify the functions of the complex
parts of the spermatophores with special refence to the origin of mating plugs.
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Other interests:
Philosophy of science, evolutionary epistemology, theory of evolution and systematics, travelling, cooking,
music, animal photography, diversity of beer-bottles.
Selected publications:
NEUBERT, E. & KROPF, C. (2010): In memoriam Margret Gosteli Huber. 13. August 1958 – 28. Oktober 2008. – Contributions to Natural History 15: 1-8.
 pdf-version
JACOB, A., GANTENBEIN, I., BRAUNWALDER, M.E., NENTWIG, W. & KROPF, C. (2004): Morphology and function of male genitalia (spermatophores) in Euscorpius italicus (Euscorpiidae, Scorpiones): Complex spermatophore structures enable safe sperm transfer. – Journal of Morphology 260: 72-84.
JACOB, A., GANTENBEIN, B., BRAUNWALDER, M.E., NENTWIG, W. & KROPF, C. (2004): Complex male genitalia (hemispermatophores) are not diagnostic for cryptic species in the genus Euscorpius (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae). – Organisms, Diversity, and Evolution 4: 59-72.
BAUR, H. & KROPF, C. (eds) (2003): Towards animal phylogeny through diversity of methods. – Contributions to Natural History 2: 1-53.
BURGER, M., NENTWIG, W. & KROPF, C. (2002): Complex genital structures indicate cryptic female choice in a haplogyne spider (Arachnida, Araneae, Oonopidae,
Gamasomorphinae). – J. Morphol.,255(2003):80-93.
BURGER, M., NENTWIG, W. & KROPF, C. (2002): Opopaea fosuma, n. sp. from Sumatra, Indonesia
(Araneae, Oonopidae). – Bull. Br. arachnol. Soc.,12:244-248.
SCHERABON, B., GANTENBEIN, B., FET, V., BARKER, M., KUNTNER, M., KROPF, C. & HUBER, D. (2000): A new species of
scorpion from Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia: Euscorpius gamma CAPORIACCO, 1950, stat. nov.
(Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae). – Ekológia (Bratislava), 19, Suppl. 3: 253-262.
GANTENBEIN, B., KROPF, C., LARGIADÈR, C. R. & SCHOLL, A. (2000): Molecular and morphological evidence for the
presence of a new buthid taxon (Scorpiones: Buthidae) on the island of Cyprus. – Revue suisse Zool., 107 (1): 213-232.
KROPF, C. (1998): Slit sense organs of Comaroma simonii BERTKAU: A morphological atlas (Araneae, Anapidae).
– Proc. 17th Europ. Coll. Arachnol., Edinburgh 1997: 151-159.
KROPF, C. (1998): Distribution and geographic variation of Comaroma simonii BERTKAU, 1889 (Arachnida,
Araneae, Anapidae). – Biosystematics and Ecology Series, 14: 315-331.
KROPF, C. (1997): Egg sac structure and further biological observations in Comaroma simonii BERTKAU
(Araneae, Anapidae). - Proc. 16th Europ. Coll. Arachnol., Siedlce 1996: 151-164.
KROPF, C.& HORAK, P. (1996): Die Spinnen der Steiermark (Arachnida, Araneae). - Mitt. naturwiss.
Ver. Steiermark, Sonderheft: 5-112.
KROPF, C. (1995): Pseudanapis hoeferi n. sp. from Central Amazonia, Brazil (Araneae, Anapidae). - Bull. Br. arachnol.
Soc., 10 (1): 19-22.
KROPF, C. (1993): Ist das Zeigerwertsystem ELLENBERGs zur autökologischen Charakterisierung von Spinnenarten geeignet?
Beispielhafte Darstellung an der Bodenspinne Comaroma simoni (Arachnida, Araneae, Anapidae). - Arachnol. Mitt., 5: 4-14.
KROPF, C. (1990): Web construction and prey capture of Comaroma simoni BERTKAU (Araneae). - Acta Zool. Fennica,
190: 229-233.
KROPF, C. (1990): Comaroma is an anapid spider (Arachnida, Araneae, Anapidae). - Abh. naturwiss. Ver. Hamburg,
(NF) 31/32: 185-203.
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