Alan Solem

{{Short description|American biologist}} {{Infobox scientist | honorific_prefix = | name = Alan Solem | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image =  | image_size = | image_upright = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = George Alan Solem | birth_date = {{birth date |1931|06|21}} | birth_place = United States | death_date = {{death date and age |1990|03|26|1931|06|21}} | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | home_town = | other_names = | pronounce = | residence = | citizenship = | fields = Malacology | workplaces = | patrons = | education = | alma_mater = | thesis_title =  | thesis_url =  | thesis_year =  | doctoral_advisor =  | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = One of the most renowned land snail experts of his time | influences = | influenced = | awards = | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = Solem | spouse =  | partner =  | children = | signature =  | signature_alt = | website =  | footnotes = }}

'''George Alan Solem''' (21 June 1931 – 26 March 1990),<ref>van Bruggen A. C. (1990). "Obituary – G. Alan Solem, 21.VI.1931 – 26.III.1990". ''Basteria'' '''54'''(1-3): 151-154.</ref><ref name="Coan 2009">Coan E. V., Kabat A. R. & Petit R. E. (2009). ''2,400 years of malacology, 6th ed.'', February 15, 2009, 830 pp. + 32 pp. [Annex of Collations]. American Malacological Society: http://www.malacological.org/publications/2400_malacology.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005154552/http://www.malacological.org/publications/2400_malacology.html |date=2018-10-05 }}</ref> known professionally as '''Alan Solem''', was an American malacologist, a biologist who studied mollusks.

He was one of the most renowned land snail experts of his time and had earned a reputation for his comprehensive revisions of mainly terrestrial pulmonates. He worked on land snails from all regions of the world but became particularly known for his revisions of land snails from Australasia and various Pacific Islands. His 140 academic papers dealt with the snail phylogeny, feeding patterns and reproductive strategies.<ref>{{cite web |title=Invertebrates - Research |url=https://www.fieldmuseum.org/science/research/area/invertebrates/invertebrates-research |publisher=Field Museum of Natural History |access-date=10 October 2021}}</ref>

He named many taxa, amongst them about 350 species of Australian land snails, and several genera.<ref>Cameron, R. A. D., B. M. Pokryszko, and F. E. Wells. 2005. Alan Solem's work on the diversity of Australasian land snails: an unfinished project of global significance. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 68:1-10.</ref> Some species named by him are:

* ''Ba humbugi'' Solem, 1983 – a species of Fijian land snail * ''Hadra wilsoni'' Solem, 1979 – a species of Western Australian land snail * ''Glyptorhagada janaslini'' Solem, 1992 – a species of land snail * ''Aaadonta fuscozonata depressa'' Solem, 1976 – a subspecies of land snail

== Taxa described by Solem ==

* ''Aslintesta Solem, 1992'' * ''Caperantrum Solem, 1997'' * ''Carinotrachia Solem, 1985'' * ''Cooperconcha Solem, 1992'' * ''Cristilabrum Solem, 1981'' * ''Falspleuroxia Solem, 1997'' * ''Kendrickia Solem, 1985'' * ''Melostrachia Solem, 1979'' * ''Mesodontrachia Solem, 1985'' * ''Micromelon Solem, 1992'' * ''Minimelon Solem, 1993'' * ''Montanomelon Solem, 1993'' * ''Mouldingia Solem, 1984'' * ''Ningbingia Solem, 1981'' * ''Orangia'' Solem, 1976 * ''Ordtrachia Solem, 1984'' * ''Promonturconchum Solem, 1997'' * ''Prototrachia Solem, 1984'' * ''Prymnbriareus Solem, 1981'' * ''Pseudcupedora Solem, 1992'' * ''Retroterra Solem, 1985'' * ''Strepsitaurus Solem, 1997'' * ''Tatemelon Solem, 1993'' * ''Turgenitubulus Solem, 1981'' * ''Vatusila'' Solem, 1983

== Bibliography == * Solem, A. 1955. Mexican molluscs collected for Dr. Bryant Walker in 1926. XI. Drymaeus. ''Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan'' '''566''': 1–20 pp., pl. 21–25. * Solem, A. 1956. The helicoid cyclophorid mollusks of Mexico. ''Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia'' '''108''': 41-59, pl. 45, 46. * Solem, A. 1957. Philippine Zoological Expedition 1946-1947. Philippine snails of the family Endodontidae. ''Fieldiana Zoology'' '''41''': 1-12. * Solem, A. 1958. Endodontide Landschnecken von Indonesien und Neu Guinea. ''Archiv für Molluskenkunde'' '''87''': 19-26. * Solem, A. 1959. Notes on Mexican mollusks. II. ''Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan'' '''611''': 15 pp. * Solem, A. 1961. New Caledonian land and fresh-water snails. An annotated check list. ''Fieldiana: Zoology'' '''41'''(3): 415–501. * Laidlaw, F.F., Solem, A. 1961. The land snail genus ''Amphidromus''. A syntopic catalogue. ''Fieldiana Zoology'' '''41''': 506-677. * Solem, A. 1964. A collection of non-marine molluscs from Sabah. ''Sabah Society Journal'' '''11''': 1-40. * Solem, A. 1966. Some non-marine mollusks from Thailand, with notes on classification of the Helicarionidae. ''Spolia Zoologica Musei Hauniensis'' '''24''': 1-110. * Solem, A. 1968. "''Ptychodon''" ''misoolensis'' Adam and Van Benthem Jutting, 1939, A New Guinea ''Strobilopsis'' land snail and review of the genus ''Enteroplax''. ''Veliger'' '''11''': 24-30. * Solem, A. 1974. ''The shell makers: introducing mollusks.'' New York: John Wiley & Sons. xiv + 289 pp. * Solem, A. 1975. Notes on Salmon River oreohelicid land snails, with description of ''Oreohelix waltoni. The Veliger'' '''18'''(1): 16-30. * Solem, A. 1975. ''Polygyriscus virginianus'' (Burch, 1947) a helicodiscid land snail (Pulmonata: Helicodiscidae). ''The Nautilus'' '''89'''(3): 80–86. * Solem, A. 1976. Comments on eastern North American Polygyridae. ''The Nautilus'' '''90'''(1): 25-36. * Solem, A. 1976. ''Endodontoid land snails from Pacific islands (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Sigmurethra). Part I, Family Endodontidae.'' Chicago, Illinois: Field Museum of Natural History. i-xii, 1-508 pp. * Solem, A. 1976. Species criteria in ''Anguispira (Anguispira)'' (Pulmonata: Discidae). ''The Nautilus'' '''90'''(1): 15–23. * Solem, A. 1977. ''Radiodiscus hubrichti'' Branson, 1975, a synonym of ''Striatura pugetensis'' (Dall, 1895) (Pulmonata: Zonitidae). ''The Nautilus'' '''91'''(4): 146-148. * Solem, A. 1977. Shell microsculpture in ''Striatura, Punctum, Radiodiscus'', and ''Planogyra'' (Pulmonata). ''The Nautilus'' '''91'''(4): 149-155. * Solem, A. 1978. Cretaceous and Early Tertiary camaenid land snails from Western North America (Mollusca: Pulmonata). ''Journal of Paleontology'' '''52''': 581-589. * Solem, A., Yochelson, E.L. 1979. North American Palaeozoic land snails, with a summary of other Palaeozoic non-marine snails. ''United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper'' '''1072''': 1-42. * Solem, A. 1979. [https://archive.org/details/somemollusksfrom01fiel "Some mollusks from Afghanistan"]. ''Fieldiana Zoology'' new series '''1''': 1-89. * Solem, A. 1979. Camaenid land snails from Western and central Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae). I. Taxa with trans-Australian distribution. ''Records of the Western Australian Museum Suppl.'' '''10''': 5-142. * Solem, A., van der Spoel, S. Van Bruggen, A.C., Lever, J. 1979. A theory of land snail biogeographic patterns through time. In: ''Pathways in Malacology''. Utrecht: Scheltema & Holkema. * Solem, A. 1981. Camaenid land snails from Western and central Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae). II. Taxa from the Kimberley, ''Amplirhagada'' Iredale 1933. ''Records of the Western Australian Museum Suppl.'' '''11''': 147-320. * Solem, A. 1981. Camaenid land snails from Western and central Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae). III. Taxa from the Ningbing Ranges and nearby areas. ''Records of the Western Australian Museum Suppl''. '''11''': 321-425. * Solem, A., W.K. Emerson, B. Roth and F.G. Thompson. 1981. Standards for malacological collections. ''Curator'' '''24'''(1): 19-28. * Solem A. (7 January 1983) [https://archive.org/details/endodontoidlands02sole "Endodontoid land snails from Pacific Islands (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Sigmurethra). Part II. Families Punctidae and Charopidae, Zoogeography"]. ''Fieldiana Zoology'', Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, ISSN 0015-0754. * Solem, A., Tillier, A., Mordan, P. 1984. Pseudo-operculate pulmonate land snails from New Caledonia. ''Veliger'' '''27''': 193-199. * Solem, A., Christensen, C. 1984. Camaenid land snail reproductive cycle and growth patterns in semiarid area of north-western Australia. ''Australian Journal of Zoology'' '''32''': 471-491. * Solem, A. 1984. Camaenid land snails from Western and central Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae). IV. Taxa from the Kimberley, ''Westraltrachia'' Iredale, 1933 and related genera. ''Records of the Western Australian Museum Suppl''. '''17''': 427-705. * Solem, A. 1985. Simultaneous character convergence and divergence in Western Australian land snails. ''Biological Journal of the Linnean Society'' '''24''': 143-136. * Solem, A. 1985. Camaenid land snails from Western and central Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae). V. Remaining Kimberley genera and addenda to the Kimberley. ''Records of the Western Australian Museum Suppl''. '''20''': 707-981. * Solem, A. 1988. New camaenid land snails from the northeast Kimberley, Western Australia. ''Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia'' '''9''': 27-58. * Solem, A. 1988. Maximum in the minimum: Biogeography of land snails from the Ningbing Ranges and Jeremiah Hills, northeast Kimberley, Western Australia. ''Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia'' '''9''': 59-113. * Solem, A. 1989. Non-camaenid land snails of the Kimberley and Northern Territory, Australia. I. Affinities and ranges. ''Invertebrate Taxonomy'' '''2''': 455-604. * Solem, A. 1991. Land snails of Kimberley rainforest patches and biogeography of all Kimberley landsnails. In: McKenzie, N.L., Johnston, R.B., Kendrick, P.G. (eds), ''Kimberley rainforests of Australia''. Canberra: Surrey Beatty & Sons and Department of Conservation and Land Management Western Australia. * Solem, A., McKenzie, N.L, 1991. The composition of land snail assemblages in Kimberley rainforests. In: McKenzie, N.L., Johnston, R.B., Kendrick, P.G. (eds), ''Kimberley rainforests of Australia''. Canberra: Surrey Beatty & Sons and Department of Conservation and Land Management Western Australia. * Solem, A. 1991. The next challenge: Life styles and evolution. ''American Malacological Bulletin'' '''8'''(2): 173-175. * Solem, A. 1992. Camaenid land snails from southern and eastern Australia, excluding Kangaroo Island. ''Records of the South Australian Museum, Monogr.Ser.'' '''2''': 1-425. * Solem, A. 1993. Camaenid land snails from Western and central Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae). VI. Taxa from the Red Centre. ''Records of the Western Australian Museum Suppl''. '''43''': 983-1489. * Solem, A. 1997. Camaenid land snails from Western and central Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae). VII. Taxa from Dampierland through the Nullarbor.'' Records of the Western Australian Museum Suppl''. '''50''': 1461-1906. * Solem, A. 1998. Family Camaenidae. In: Beesley, P.L., Ross, G.J.B., Wells, A. (eds), ''Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis''. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== (chronologically) * Williams P. (1978). "Solem and snails". ''Field Museum of Natural History Bulletin'' '''49'''(10): 16-19. * Backhuys W. (1990). "Obituary: Alan George [sic] Solem (1931–1990)". ''The Papustyla'', Manus Landsnail Society, April 1990: 1. * Ponder W. F. & Stanisic J. (1990). "Obituary – G. Alan Solem". ''Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia'' '''11''': 1-7. * Raeihle D. (1990). "George Alan Solem". ''New York Shell Club Notes'' '''315''': 2-3. * Scheu L. & Goldberg R. L. (1990). "Alan Solem and the shell makers". ''American Conchologist'' '''September 1990''': 9-11. * Wenzel R. L. (1990). "G. Alan Solem, 1931- 1990". ''Field Museum of Natural History Bulletin'' '''61'''(3): 8-10. * Colman P. (1990). "Vale Alan Solem 21 July 1931 – 27 February 1990". ''Australian Shell News'' '''70''': 5. * Girardi E.-L. (1991). "A bibliography and brief biography of G. Alan Solem 1931- 1990". ''The Veliger'' '''34'''(4): 317-323 * Wells F. (1996). "Alan Solem honoured". ''Australian Shell News'' '''93''': 3.

== External links == * {{Internet Archive author |sname=Alan Solem}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20121016052119/http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/CAMAENIDAE/checklist#selected List of Australian land snails] at Australian Faunal Directory

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solem, Alan}} Category:American malacologists Category:1931 births Category:1990 deaths Category:20th-century American zoologists