Wilhelm Dunker, His Collection, and Pteriid Systematics

Abstract

ABSTRACT Wilhelm Dunker was the foremost expert on the systematics of the bivalve family Pteriidae (referred to as genus Avicula in his time) in the nineteenth century. His work on the group culminated in the monograph Die Gattung Avicula, a part of the significant conchological iconography, Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet (Kuster et al., 1837–1920). Dunker's volume remains unsurpassed in the taxonomic scope and the quality of illustrations. However, despite the fact that Die Gattung Avicula was readily available and widely cited, few specialists consulted the actual type material from the Dunker collection, which fell into oblivion for over a century. In this work, we attempted to reconstruct the contents and the history of Dunker's collection of pteriid bivalves, the specimens of which derive from two principal repositories, the Museum fur Naturkunde in Berlin and the Aquazoo-Lobbecke Museum in Dusseldorf. In addition to the annotated catalog of type and figured specimens, many of which are here recog...