Franz Theodor Doflein


Franz Theodor Doflein was a German zoologist known for his studies of animal ecology.

Biography

He studied medicine and zoology at the University of Munich, where he was influenced by Richard Hertwig. In 1895-96 he worked as an auxiliary assistant to Alexander Götte at the University of Strasbourg, followed by research of fish diseases at Munich as an assistant under Bruno Hofer. In 1898, on behalf of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, he took part in a study trip to the West Indies, Mexico and California. After his return to Germany, he served as an assistant at the Zoologischen Staatssammlung in Munich.
In 1904–05 he conducted zoological research in Japan and Ceylon. In 1907 he became an associate professor of zoological systematics and biology in Munich, and three years later, was named second director of the Zoologischen Staatssammlung. In 1912 he succeeded August Weismann as chair of zoology at the University of Freiburg, and following a research trip to Macedonia, he obtained a professorship at the University of Breslau.
His name is associated with Doflein's salamander, Bolitoglossa dofleini, circumscribed by Franz Werner in 1903. The sea anemone genus Dofleinia also bears his name, as do taxa with the specific epithet of dofleini, an example being Enteroctopus dofleini.

Published works

He was the author of a well-received textbook on protozoans, titled Lehrbuch der Protozoenkunde. It was published over several editions; its fifth edition being issued by Eduard Reichenow. He was also the author of significant works associated with termites, crustaceans, ants and ant lions.