'Derrick' actor: Nazi with SS? The late German actor Horst Tappert, known for his role as TV sleuth Stefan Derrick, was reportedly a member of a Nazi SS unit during World War II.
By Frank Jordans,?Associated Press / April 27, 2013
Reports that the late German actor Horst Tappert, best known for his longtime role as dapper TV sleuth Stefan Derrick, served in a feared Nazi SS unit prompted at least one European broadcaster to announce Saturday that it would drop the show's reruns from its schedule.
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Dutch TV station MAX pulled reruns of the show, which was produced from 1974 to 1998, after daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published documents Friday showing the actor had been in the SS during World War II.
"Derrick" was one of the most widely syndicated German TV shows, broadcast in over 100 countries including China, Australia, France and Norway.
"We are not going to honor an actor like this who has lied about his past," Dutch public broadcaster NOS quoted MAX chairman Jan Slagter as saying.
Tappert had spoken of his wartime service as a medic in an interview 10 years before his death in 2008. But he didn't mention that his unit was part of the elite SS Armored Infantry Regiment 1, nicknamed the "Skulls" after the emblem they wore.
The SS is known to have committed atrocities during World War II but it was unclear from the newly discovered documents whether Tappert was directly involved.
The German news organization Der Spiegel reports:
"The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on Friday that Tappert was a member of an SS anti-aircraft group (SS-Flakabteilung), in Arolsen, Germany, that was under the command of the notorious Waffen-SS.
Sociologist J?rg Becker uncovered a document showing Tappert had been a member of the SS while conducting research at the German agency WASt -- which maintains records of members of the former Wehrmacht, the German military under the Nazis -- for a memoir he is writing about another person. Becker told the newspaper the document shows that Tappert became a member of the Waffen-SS as a low-level grenadier by March 1943 at the latest, at the age of 19."
Peter Grune, a spokesman for German public broadcaster ZDF that co-produced the show's 281 episodes, said nobody at the station had known of Tappert's SS past.
"Stories like these come up now and again," he said. "For us it's not an urgent matter because he's dead."
The hidden history of prominent Germans' involvement in the war has become a subject of public debate again in recent years, after being largely ignored for decades.
In 2006, German Nobel literature laureate Guenter Grass admitted in an autobiography that he had been a member of the SS in the final months of the war. The revelation hurt Grass' image as one of the 'moral consciences' in post-war Germany.
Earlier this year ZDF broadcast a three-part drama about the war, accompanied by a publicity campaign that urged Germans to seek out survivors of the Nazi period and ask them about the role they played at the time.
(Ends first round) NEW YORK, April 25 (Reuters) - Selections in the first roundof the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday (picknumber, NFL team, player, position, college): 1-Kansas City, Eric Fisher, offensive tackle, Central Michigan 2-Jacksonville, Luke Joeckel, offensive tackle, Texas A&M 3-Miami (from Oakland), Dion Jordan, defensive tackle, Oregon 4-Philadelphia, Lane Johnson, offensive tackle, Oklahoma 5-Detroit, Ezekiel Ansah, defensive end, Brigham Young 6-Cleveland, Barkevious Mingo, linebacker, LSU 7-Arizona, Jonathan Cooper, guard, North Carolina 8-St. ...
MUSCAT, Oman (AP) ? Oman says an Iranian scientist held by the U.S. since late 2011 has arrived in Oman.
Friday's report on Oman state TV gave no further details. Oman has served as a mediator between Washington and Tehran before.
The scientist, Mojtaba Atarodi, was in U.S. custody since December 2011 over allegations he bought advanced technological equipment in violation of U.S. sanctions on Iran.
Iran's official IRNA news agency said this week that the U.S. released Atarodi, a microchip expert at Tehran's Sharif University.
In September 2011, two Americans convicted of espionage by Iran were freed and traveled to Oman, which also briefly hosted a third member of the group after her release a year earlier. The three Americans said they were hiking in northern Iraq and strayed across the Iranian border.
CARMAN, Ill. -- The Midwest floods in April have caused damage and disrupted lives in a widespread area. Here, on the Mississippi River in Carman, it was far bigger than it was expected to be, as it was elsewhere. Heavy thunderstorms in the beginning also brought it up much faster than anticipated.
Though many people have evacuated, many of us have houses built on stilts, designed for these situations, so a few of us have held out at home. It isn't always easy to bear the water as it comes up under the house, rising to a record 22.3 feet (normal levels for this time of year are about 12.6), yet it is still better to be at home, for some.
During a flood of this magnitude, the river takes what it will. Debris from yards and homes floats by, as well as full-sized trees. Loggers in the area left some huge logs sit, in this neighborhood, prior to the waters rising, which some are having to contend with as they float up around their houses.
At the time of this writing, the river level is receding, currently at 21.06 feet. Yet, in this immediate area, it is projected that the river will still cover the road for quite some time, likely at least two weeks. The whole story will not be visible until the waters have receded to something of a normal level.
The peculiar life history of Middle American Stenamma antsPublic release date: 25-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael G. Branstetter mgbranstetter@gmail.com 202-633-1002 Pensoft Publishers
Some ant species use clay 'door-pebbles' for the protection of their nest
Stenamma is a cryptic "leaf-litter" ant genus that occurs in moderately humid to wet forest habitats throughout the Holarctic region, Central America, and part of northwestern South America (Colombia and Ecuador). The genus was thought to be restricted primarily to the temperate zone, but recent collecting efforts have uncovered a large variety of Neotropical forms, which rival the Holarctic species in terms of morphological and behavioral diversity. The Middle American clade of Stenamma is revised in a paper published in the open access journal ZooKeys to recognize 40 species, an astonishing 33 of which are described as new.
"The paper documents a large radiation of previously overlooked Neotropical ants. When I began the study, only six species were known from the region, now there are 40. The fact that this radiation has been missed for so long is surprising, since ants are an insect group that attracts much interest and study," remarks Dr. Michael G. Branstetter, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. "This revision provides a rare look into the biology and life history of this intriguing genus."
An exceptional characteristic of Stenamma is that many species seem to be well adapted to cool, wet environments at mid to high elevations between 800 m. In fact, it has been found that Stenamma can be the most common ant genus in leaf-litter samples collected from very wet and cool cloud forest localities. These ecological traits are in contrast to the pattern seen in ants generally, in which diversity and abundance decrease with elevation. Furthermore, it is slowly becoming apparent that the life history strategies of Stenamma species are quite diverse, and in some cases unique among ants.
Most collections of the group are made by sifting leaf-litter from the forest floor, which is why Stenamma has its stereotype as a "leaf-litter ant genus." Although nests of many species do occur in the leaf litter, and foragers are common there, recent collecting has revealed that Stenamma species nest in a variety of microhabitats, not just leaf litter. Nests have been found in large logs, in small rotting branches, in and under bark, in steep clay or mud banks, in and under epiphytes, under rocks, in the ground, and under leaves in leaf litter. In addition, several species are now known to nest and forage in the forest canopy. The reason these nests are rarely encountered is because most species are cryptic, forming small colonies composed of slow-moving worker ants.
One of the most intriguing recent discoveries has been the observation that some Stenamma species nest in clay banks and exhibit novel behaviors. In the first documented example of clay bank nesting within Stenamma, it was found that the two species involved construct multiple nests per colony, but only occupy one with a queen and brood, and they maintain a small clay "door-pebble," which is used to block the nest entrance upon encounter with aggressive ants, such as army ants.
The work of Branstetter reveals that not only two, but many Stenamma species nest in the clay bank environment, suggesting that this habitat may be important in the evolution and ecology of the group. Most intriguingly, one of the newly observed species has been found to have convergently evolved a similar nest architecture to the door-pebble ants. The reason for this convergence is not known and is in need of further investigation. "I hypothesize that like cloud forests, the clay bank habitat is less hospitable to the average ant, and thus provides Stenamma species with a more protected and less competitive environment in which to nest and forage." explains Dr. Branstetter.
###
Collection and specimen data for all material examined in this study, along with all color images, have been uploaded to AntWeb, a site hosted by the California Academy of Sciences. AntWeb subsequently provides all specimen-level data, images, and natural history content to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the Encyclopedia of Life of Life (EOL).
Original Source:
Branstetter MG (2013) Revision of the Middle American clade of the ant genus Stenamma Westwood (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae). ZooKeys 295: 1, doi: 10.3897/zookeys.295.4905
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The peculiar life history of Middle American Stenamma antsPublic release date: 25-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael G. Branstetter mgbranstetter@gmail.com 202-633-1002 Pensoft Publishers
Some ant species use clay 'door-pebbles' for the protection of their nest
Stenamma is a cryptic "leaf-litter" ant genus that occurs in moderately humid to wet forest habitats throughout the Holarctic region, Central America, and part of northwestern South America (Colombia and Ecuador). The genus was thought to be restricted primarily to the temperate zone, but recent collecting efforts have uncovered a large variety of Neotropical forms, which rival the Holarctic species in terms of morphological and behavioral diversity. The Middle American clade of Stenamma is revised in a paper published in the open access journal ZooKeys to recognize 40 species, an astonishing 33 of which are described as new.
"The paper documents a large radiation of previously overlooked Neotropical ants. When I began the study, only six species were known from the region, now there are 40. The fact that this radiation has been missed for so long is surprising, since ants are an insect group that attracts much interest and study," remarks Dr. Michael G. Branstetter, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. "This revision provides a rare look into the biology and life history of this intriguing genus."
An exceptional characteristic of Stenamma is that many species seem to be well adapted to cool, wet environments at mid to high elevations between 800 m. In fact, it has been found that Stenamma can be the most common ant genus in leaf-litter samples collected from very wet and cool cloud forest localities. These ecological traits are in contrast to the pattern seen in ants generally, in which diversity and abundance decrease with elevation. Furthermore, it is slowly becoming apparent that the life history strategies of Stenamma species are quite diverse, and in some cases unique among ants.
Most collections of the group are made by sifting leaf-litter from the forest floor, which is why Stenamma has its stereotype as a "leaf-litter ant genus." Although nests of many species do occur in the leaf litter, and foragers are common there, recent collecting has revealed that Stenamma species nest in a variety of microhabitats, not just leaf litter. Nests have been found in large logs, in small rotting branches, in and under bark, in steep clay or mud banks, in and under epiphytes, under rocks, in the ground, and under leaves in leaf litter. In addition, several species are now known to nest and forage in the forest canopy. The reason these nests are rarely encountered is because most species are cryptic, forming small colonies composed of slow-moving worker ants.
One of the most intriguing recent discoveries has been the observation that some Stenamma species nest in clay banks and exhibit novel behaviors. In the first documented example of clay bank nesting within Stenamma, it was found that the two species involved construct multiple nests per colony, but only occupy one with a queen and brood, and they maintain a small clay "door-pebble," which is used to block the nest entrance upon encounter with aggressive ants, such as army ants.
The work of Branstetter reveals that not only two, but many Stenamma species nest in the clay bank environment, suggesting that this habitat may be important in the evolution and ecology of the group. Most intriguingly, one of the newly observed species has been found to have convergently evolved a similar nest architecture to the door-pebble ants. The reason for this convergence is not known and is in need of further investigation. "I hypothesize that like cloud forests, the clay bank habitat is less hospitable to the average ant, and thus provides Stenamma species with a more protected and less competitive environment in which to nest and forage." explains Dr. Branstetter.
###
Collection and specimen data for all material examined in this study, along with all color images, have been uploaded to AntWeb, a site hosted by the California Academy of Sciences. AntWeb subsequently provides all specimen-level data, images, and natural history content to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the Encyclopedia of Life of Life (EOL).
Original Source:
Branstetter MG (2013) Revision of the Middle American clade of the ant genus Stenamma Westwood (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae). ZooKeys 295: 1, doi: 10.3897/zookeys.295.4905
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
In this publicity image released by The Weinstein Company, Courteney Cox is shown in a scene from the horror film "Scream 4." The MTV network says it will produce a pilot for a TV-series adaptation of the wildly popular slasher films. The series would reinvent the horror-comedy franchise that began with the original release in 1996 and spawned three sequels, the most recent in 2011. The films? original director, Wes Craven, is in discussions to direct the one-hour pilot, MTV said. The "Scream" series is planned to debut in summer 2014. (AP Photo/Dimension Films-The Weinstein Company, Gemma La Mana)
In this publicity image released by The Weinstein Company, Courteney Cox is shown in a scene from the horror film "Scream 4." The MTV network says it will produce a pilot for a TV-series adaptation of the wildly popular slasher films. The series would reinvent the horror-comedy franchise that began with the original release in 1996 and spawned three sequels, the most recent in 2011. The films? original director, Wes Craven, is in discussions to direct the one-hour pilot, MTV said. The "Scream" series is planned to debut in summer 2014. (AP Photo/Dimension Films-The Weinstein Company, Gemma La Mana)
NEW YORK (AP) ? MTV is getting ready to blast viewers with a brand-new "Scream."
The network says it will produce a pilot for a TV-series adaptation of the wildly popular slasher films. The series would reinvent the horror-comedy franchise that began with the original release in 1996 and spawned three sequels, the most recent in 2011.
MTV said the films' original director, Wes Craven, is in discussions to direct the one-hour pilot.
The "Scream" series is planned to debut in summer 2014.
The announcement was made Thursday at MTV's presentation of its upcoming schedule to advertisers in New York.
MTV also said "Snooki & JWOWW" has been renewed for a third season. The reality show stars "Jersey Shore" pals Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Jenni "JWOWW" Farley.
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Public release date: 25-Apr-2013
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