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Лаборатория артропод ПИН РАН

    Alexandr P. RASNITSYN

    Rasnitsyn Rasnitsyn Rasnitsyn Rasnitsyn

    Born in Moscow, Russia, 24th of September, 1936. Married, have one son (44).

    Education
    1955. Entered the Moscow State University. 1960. Graduated, with honours and with the master degree, from the Moscow State University, Chair of entomology (Prof. Eugeny S. Smirnov, the Head). Master thesis «Hibernation in the ichneumon flies subfamily Ichneumoninae».

    Job
    1960. Entered the Palaeontological Institute, Academy of Sciences of USSR (now Russian Academy of Sciences), the Arthropoda Laboratory (Prof. Boris B. Rohdendorf, the Head), succeedingly as a technician, junior and senior research worker, the Head of the Lab. (since 1979), principal research worker (since 1996), and the acting Head of the Lab. (since 2002, after sudden death of Dr Vladimir Zherikhin, my successor in this position since 1996).

    Scientific interests
    My scientific interests are centered at palaeontology, phylogeny and taxonomy of the hymenopteran insects and of the insects in general, as well as at more wide biological problems, including the evolutionary theory and methodology of phylogenetics, taxonomy, and nomenclature.

    Degrees
    1967. PhD from the Palaeontological Institute, Academy of Sciences of USSR (now Russian Academy of Sciences). PhD thesis «Mesozoic Hymenoptera Symphyta and early evolution of Xyelidae». 1978. DSc in Biology from the Palaeontological Institute, Academy of Sciences of USSR (now Russian Academy of Sciences). DSc thesis «Origin and evolution of Hymenoptera».

    Titles
    1991. The title of Professor in biology from the Palaeontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (for raising 5+ PhDs).

    Museum studies
    Besides the permanent study and curation of the fossil Hymenoptera and some other insect orders (Paoliida, Palaeomanteida, Hypoperlida, Blattinopseida, Caloneurida, Grylloblattida, etc.) kept at the Palaeontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, I have studied fossil insects (mainly Hymenoptera) kept in museums of UK (1994-2004: Natural Hisory Museum, London; Booth Museum of Natural History, Brighton; Maidston Museum and Art Gallery, Maidston); in Germany (1983-1999: Deutsche Entomologische Institute, Eberswalde; Palaeontologische Museum, Humboldt University, Berlin; Universitдt Gцttingen); France (1998: Musйum Nationale d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris); in Spain (1998: Universitat de Barcelona); in Poland (1978-1988, Museum of Earth, Warsaw; Wroclaw University; Institute of Zoology, Cracow); in USA (1989-2008: Smithsonian Institution, Washington; American Museum of Natural History, New York; Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge; Peabody Museum, Yale Yniversity, New Heaven; University of Kansas, Lawrence; Los Angeles Co. Museum, Los Angeles; California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque); in Canada (1988, Biosystematic Research Centre, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa); in South Africa (2001, 2005: University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg; Witwatersrand University, Pretoria); in China (2002, 2008, 2010: Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing); in Denmark (2003:Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen). Also I have studied extant insects (Hymenoptera in general for phylogenetic research and subfamily Ichneumoninae for generic and species level taxonomy) in Russia (since 1952: Zoological Museum, Moscow State University, Moscow, and Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, StPetersburg) and abroad: in UK (1994-2005: Natural Hisory Museum, London); USA (1989-2005: American Entomological Institute, Gainesville; Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge; California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; American Museum of Natural History, New York) and Poland (1978, 1979: Wroclaw University).

    International meetings
    I have attended, with oral presentations, at the 13th and 18th International Entomological Congresses (Moscow, 1968, Vancouver, 1988), VI Meeting on amber (Warsaw, 1988), I-III Meetings of the International Hymenopterist’s Society (Vancouver, 1988, Sheffild, 1991, Davis, 1995), Conference on the Major Arthropod Groups Relationships (London, 1996), I-IV International Palaeoentomological Congresses (Moscow, 1998, Cracow, 2001, Pretoria, 2005, Vitoria-Gasteiz, 2007, Beijing, 2010), the 13th Entomological Congress, Entomological Society of Southern Africa (2001, Pietermaritzburg), and 6th International Conference of Hymenopterists (Sun City, South Africa).

    Field work
    During 22 field seasons in 1956-2005, mostly palaeontological ones, I has visited many parts of FSU, including famous fossil insect sites in Central Asia (Madygen, Shurab, Issyk-Kul etc.), Norh Caucasus (Miocene insect shales near Stavropol), South Siberia (Jurassic insect sites in Kuznetsk Basin), Transbaikalia (Baissa, Uda, Unda etc.), North Siberia (various localities of Cretaceous fossil resins in Taimyr Peninsula), East Siberia (Cretaceous and Tertiary insect sites in Okhotsk, Sikhote-Alin, and other remote spots), as well as in Mongolia (Bon Tsagan, Bakhar, Khotont, etc.). I have collected fossil insects also in England (1994, 2005, Cretaceous Weald insects at Clockhouse Rockstore, and Eocene/Oligocene Bembridge Marl insects at Isle of Wight), Germany (1983, Jurassic Dobbertin fossil site), USA (1997, 1999, Eocene insect shales of Green River Formation, Colorado), Israel (2004, Cretaceous insects of Ora Formation).

    Main projects
    1995-1996. International Science Foundation [Soros Fund] Grant MUY300 «The World pre-Quarternary Fossil Insect, Myriapod, and Arachnid Database» (Principal Investigator).
    1995-1997. Russian Foundation of Basic Research Grant 95-04-11105 «Insect-plant co-evolution: palaeontological evidence» (Principal Investigator).
    1997-1999. The Leverhulme Trust Grant F58AQ to D. Quicke & M. Fitton (Investigator).
    1998-2000. Royal Society Joint Project for FSU «Early Cretaceous insects and ancient environment of the West Laurasian Archipelago» (FSU Project Leader).
    1998-2000. Russian Foundation of Basic Research Grant 98-04-48518 «Model of evolution of the insect-plant system» (Principal Investigator).
    2004-2006. INTAS Ref. Nr. 03-51-4367 «The terrestrial fauna and flora of the Insect bed, Isle of Wight: interpreting the climate near the Eocene/Oligocene boundary» (Team Leader).
    2004-2008 ISF «Hymenoptera Assembling The Tree Of Life» (Collaborator).
    2009-2011. Russian Foundation of Basic Research Grant «Sequence and changes of the terrestial biota at the Permian/Triassic boundary in the Russian Platform» (Principal Investigator).

    Awards
    2001. The Honored Scientist (the state award of Russian Federation).
    2003. The 1st grade Hans Rausing Award (for: Rasnitsyn, A.P., Quicke, D.L.J. (eds.). 2002. History of Insects. Dordrecht etc.: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 517 pp.).
    2004. The Honorary Member, Russian Entomological Society
    2008. The fourth International Society of Hymenopterists Distinguished Research Medal.
    2009. The 2nd grade Hans Rausing Award (for: Zherikhin V.V., Ponomarenko A.G., Rasnitsyn A.P. 2008. Vvedenie v paleoentomologiyu [Introduction into Palaeoentomology]. Moscow, KMK, 371 pp.).

    Public service
    2001-2005. The President, International Palaeoentomological Society (elected at the Founding Meeting at the Second Palaeoentomological Congress, Cracow, Poland).
    Since 2007. The member of Council, Russian Entomological Society.