معرفی
Nikolaj Scharff is a Professor and Head of Collections at The Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen, serving as Curator of the Arachnid Collection while overseeing all geological, botanical, and zoological collections. He teaches advanced courses in entomology, biosystematics, and field biology—including a Tanzania-based summer school for graduate students—and represents the museum in CETAF and on editorial boards for Graellsia and Insect Systematics & Evolution.
His research focuses on spider phylogeny, taxonomy, and biogeography, with ongoing projects revising families like Araneidae and Malkaridae, analyzing Afromontane spider faunas, and assessing biodiversity in tropical ecosystems. He integrates morphological and molecular data to study evolutionary patterns, functional genital morphology, and species richness in regions ranging from Denmark to Tanzania's Eastern Arc Mountains.
Recent publications reveal strong trends in taxonomic revision (e.g., Mastigusa genitalia), phylogenomic analyses (e.g., Paraplectanoides classification), and biogeographic modeling (e.g., Palpimanidae dispersal from Africa), alongside high-impact work on global museum collection integration for biodiversity conservation as seen in his Science paper.
Scientific awards: No awards are documented in the provided information.
Professor Scharff supervises PhD student Gustavo Silva de Miranda (Charinidae taxonomy/biogeography) and co-supervises Rasmus Havmoeller (leopard ecology in Tanzania), while leading international collaborations with institutions in Tanzania, Italy, and the Smithsonian. His editorial roles and CETAF representation underscore his influence in taxonomic networks.
He directs the Arachnid Collection team with Assistant Curator Jan Pedersen, contributing to the Section of Biosystematics. His field programs—including Kristiansminde Field Station courses and Tanzania biodiversity expeditions—drive hands-on training in species identification and GIS-based monitoring techniques.
