Rhinogradentia
The Rhinogradentia (from the Greek rhis nose and Latin GRADIOR stride; German nose border pieces or Naslinge, English Snouters ) are a fictitious order of mammals that as a scientific joke of Prof. Gerolf Steiner ( University of Karlsruhe, Institute of Zoology I) invented and under the pseudonym " Prof. Harald Stümpke "was published as a monograph in a traditional Fachbuchverlag demeanor well under label. The work " construction and life of the Rhinogradentia " describes the Rhinogradentia as a real existing but extinct in recent mammalian order, presents numerous original illustrations and graphics to origin and development and differs formally from other books. The designs are inspired by a poem by Christian Morgenstern. They are based on the Morgenstern literary fictional animal " nasobem ".
Soon after the first edition gained the Rhinogradentia in professional circles great popularity and were taken up in subsequent publications repeatedly or mentioned in the bibliography. The monograph is, however, completely fictional and has no true constituents. All claims are funny, absurd or biologically impossible. This is in contrast to the strictly scientific presentation of the first edition, which briefly took serious reviews also.
The monograph was used for loosening of lectures and presentation of " counter-examples ". Steiner attacks in the monograph on all important biological phenomena and leads them to the reader in a humorous way before. One learns how absurd the animal world would be like if the zoological regularities would be violated in nature.
Systematic position
There were a " very probably extinct " order of mammals. However, knowledge of the systematics, anatomy and ecology of these animals belong to the " indispensable duty program " for each zoologists. The Rhinogradentia documents on the remote Pacific archipelago Heieiei an evolutionary radiation, which can best be compared with the Darwin's finches on the Galapagos or the development of marsupials in Australia.
Features and typical species
A characteristic feature of the order and most important autapomorphy is the diverse configuration of the nose as locomotion organ and for other purposes. She is a prime example of homology and analogy in the anatomy and evolution of research of particular didactic value.
As the primary mode Archirrhinos is considered Haeckelii, named as a living fossil by Ernst Haeckel.
Rhino degree animal have conquered both the ground by mole -like animals as well as the airspace by Otopteryx volitans. The latter species has, as the scientific name suggests, developed ears wings. As endosymbiont, possibly as a parasite is considered the genus Remanonasus but which is described in the original as gutless representatives of Mesopsammons. Between Columnifax lactans and Hopsorrhinus mercator there is a strong symbiosis. The largest land predator in the archipelago, also the largest Rhino degree animal belongs to the genus Tyrannonasus and shows a typical predator's teeth.
Stümpke describes Tyrannonasus as:
System
In general, the Rhino degree animal ( Einnasen ) and Polyrrhina after Stümpke in the families Monorrhina (lots of tabs ) divided. Stümpke already described the following 26 genera:
- Monorrhina:
Archirrhinos, Nasolimaceus, Rhinolimaceus, Emunctator, Dulcicauda, Dulcidauca, Columnifax, Rhinotaenia, Rhinosiphonia, Rhinostentor, Rhinotalpa, Enterorrhinus, Holorrhinus, Remanonasus, Phyllohoppla, Hopsorrhinus, Mercatorrhinus, Otopteryx, Orchidiopsis, Liliopsis.
- Polyrrhina:
Nasobema, Stella, Tyrannonasus, Eledonopsis, Hexanthus, Cephalanthus, Mammontops, Rhinochilopus.
Since Stümpkes pioneering work three new genera have been described by other authors: Larvanasus, Rhizoidonasus and Nudirhinus.
History of Research ( Rhinogradentiologie )
Although already had Christian Morgenstern - was inspired to write his poem The nasobem, but were on the South Sea island of Hi- Duddify (pronounced " Heidadaifi " ) fauna until 1941 on scientific research - presumably by a verdriftetes copy. Unfortunately, the entire Hi- Iay Archipelago is (pronounced " Heieiei " ) perished by a nuclear bomb explosion including all Rhino degree animal 1957.
The classic and comprehensive scientific textbook Rhinogradentiologie is the structure and life of Rhinogradentia by Prof. Harald Stümpke of 1957, several times reprinted, most recently in 2001. The book is one of the few modern standard works of Zoology, which first appeared in German before on were published in English.
Importance in an interdisciplinary context
The Rhino degree animal take since the publication of the book in the zoology about the function that holds Friedrich Gottlob nail man for the lawyers. It is historically not been conclusively whether nail man has dealt with the international law aspects of the destruction of the Rhinogradentia.
Subsequent editions
Research in Central Europe
After the book was published there was evidence of occurrence of Rhino degree Tiern in Germany. Thus, the association Jordsand published in an April issue of the journal seabirds a treatise on the observation of a Columnifax lactans in the rocky intertidal of Helgoland. From the Max - Planck - Institute for Limnology in Plön the discovery of a semiaquatic way Cordorrhinus hydrophilus has been reported, the presence of which is explained at the Lake Plön by a quote by Theodor Fontane. The Ernst- Moritz- Arndt- University Greifswald dedicated 2002, in its fifth Curriculum anatomy and pain on " Anatomy and Biology of Rhinogradentia " a special lecture.
Research worldwide
Modern Rhinogradentiologie is not limited to Germany. So Harold B. White 1993 published studies on Molecular Evolution in the Spirit of Snouters. A team of French cavers discovered in 1999 in the karst fossil Rhino degree animal. The group even managed to make a photo of Dolichonasus. An occurrence of Otopteryx volitans has been reported from Wisconsin in the United States.