Dr. Helmut Schmalfuss
Functional skeletal morphology of isopods and other arthropods.
Why is the first pair of antennae so tiny in terrestrial isopods? Why do some species possess ridges on the tergal plates? These and similar questions concerning the mechanical and biological functions of skeletal structures are investigated since 1975.
Klippenassel: Head of the litoral isopod Ligia with the
two pairs of antennae. SEM-photograph.
Systematic revisions of the terrestrial isopod genera of Greece,
based on the authors own collections.
Since 1979 the terrestrial isopods of Greece are revised genus by genus; many species could not be identified before these revisions, 27 unknown new species were discovered by the author in Greece and scientifically described.
Assel: A new isopod genus was discovered in 1994 in
northeastern Greece by W. Schawaller.
Systematics, phylogeny and biogeography of the terrestrial isopods of Crete and their significance for a palaeogeographic analys
A number of new species and new genus records as well as many new records of the species-rich cave fauna have changed the picture of the Cretan isopod fauna decisively. The new findings make it possible to answer open questions of the complicated palaeogeography of Crete.
schmalfuss_2ab_3_hohlenassel.jpg: Schizidium perplexum, one of the many
cave isopods in Crete.
Phylogeny of the cosmopolitan isopod family Tylidae: Hennigian argumentation and computer-dendrograms of morphological and molec
Morphological and molecular investigations of the cosmopolitan genus Tylos are used to clarify the validity of different methodological approaches to determine the degrees of phylogenetic relationships.
Tylos: Leg morphology of Tylos spinulosus,
SEM-photograph.
World catalog of all terrestrial isopod species with complete bibliographies for every one of the valid 4000 described species.
A world catalog of all terrestrial isopod species has been compiled during the past 10 years and is nearly finished. It contains the complete bibliographies for every one of the 4000 valid species and all synonyms ever used in scientific publications.