Dr Johan Kruger

Creationist Zoologist/Nematologist (CMI-South Africa)

Biography

Born in 1950 and raised in a traditional Afrikaans home, Johan was instilled with the fear of God and respect for His Word, the Bible, from a very young age. However, his faith was challenged when he sought advice from one of his ‘agnostic’ zoology lecturers at university—asking if it was possible to ‘reconcile’ the Bible with evolution.

Over the next 10 years—and while reading up on both sides of the creation/evolution controversy—he completed an M.Sc. in animal reproductive physiology in 1982, and a Ph.D. in nematology in 1986. He also worked as a technical/research assistant, and then as a postdoctoral research fellow.

Later, as a senior zoology lecturer at a local university, he was responsible for Human and Sports Physiology courses, and also developed Biology courses for a teachers training program. He has authored/co-authored 22 research articles which have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

As Head of Ministry Outreach at Creation Ministries International (South Africa), Johan desires to see biblical foundations restored to the church. He is fully persuaded that the ministry’s uncompromising approach, i.e. upholding the authority of God’s Word, the Bible, from the very first verse (connecting it to all of reality and pointing out that God, not man, determines truth) will motivate and equip Christians to defend their faith against the evolutionary indoctrination that is so prevalent in society today. He also believes that this will awaken Christians to the wonders of God’s creation, the evidence of design in nature, and most of all, the urgent need to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ—as Sovereign Creator, Redeemer and Judge.

Johan and his wife Dianne (a nursing sister) live in Aurora, Durbanville. They have no children of their own.

Academic Institutions (State/Accredited universities)

University of Pretoria & Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg):B.Sc., Zoology/Botany (1979).
Rand Afrikaans University:B.Sc. Honors (1981), M.Sc., Animal reproductive physiology (1982) and Ph.D., Nematology (1986).

Research/Academic Career (1982–1995)

presented undergraduate courses in Human & Sports Physiology to Optometry, B-Cur. Nursing and Sports Management students.
Developed and supervised Biology courses for teachers training and distance education programs.
Supervised postgraduate students in plant nematology and taxonomy.
Authored/co-authored 22 scientific research articles and 9 conference abstracts on plant nematology and animal reproductive physiology / published in national/international peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Described 18 new (and re-described 10 known) plant-parasitic nematode species from South Africa.
Presented 14 research papers/posters at national/international symposia.
Made use of scanning & transmission electron microscopy, spermatology and cytogenetics to enhance taxonomic studies in nematolgy.
Undertook research visits to universities in the USA and Europe.
Member of several professional scientific societies (1984-1995)
Editor of the Nematological Society of Southern Africa’s newsletter (for seven years).

Research Articles Published in Peer-Reviewed Scientific Journals

Heyns, J. & Kruger, J. C. de W. (1983). Freshwater nematodes from South Africa. 6. Mesodorylaimus Andrassy1 1959. Phytophylactica 15:47–53.
Kruger, J. C. de W., Smit, G.L., Van Vuren, J.H.J. & Ferreira, J.T. (1984). Some chemical and physical characteristics of the semen of Cyprinus carpio L. and Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters). J. Fish. Biol. 24:263–272.
Kruger J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1984). The genus Xiphinema in South Africa IX. Description of Xiphinema xenovariabile n.sp. from Transvaal. (Nematoda: Dorylaimida). Phytophylactica 16 :279–281.
Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1985). The genus Xiphinema in southern Africa. XI. Description of Xiphinema stockeri n.sp. from Botswana (Nematoda: Dorylaimida). S. Afr. J. Zool. 20:204–208.
Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1986). The genus Xiphinema in South Africa. XIII. Description of X. coomansi n.sp. and X. magaliesmontanum n.sp. from Transvaal (Nematoda: Dorylaimida). Phytophylactica 18:71–79.
Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1986a). A study of Xiphinema brevicolle sensu Heyns, 1974 (Nematoda). Phytophylactica 18(4):209–215.
Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1987). The genus Xiphinema in South Africa. XIV. Description of two new species from Bourke’s Luck, eastern Transvaal and a redescription of X. rarum Heyns,1979 (Nematoda: Dorylaimida). Revue Nematol. 10:269–287.
Pretorius, E.M., Kruger, J. C. de W., & Heyns, J. (1987). A new species of Tubixaba Monteiro & Lordello, 1980 with an Emendation of the Genus (Dorylaimida: Aporcelaimidae). Koedoe 30:41–47.
Stocker, G. & Kruger, J. C. de W. (1988). The genus Xiphinema in South Africa. XV. Redescription of X. mluci Heyns 1976 and description of three closely related species (Nematoda: Dorylaimida). Phytophylactica 19:405–418, 1987.
Joubert, A.P., Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1988). The genus Xiphinema in South Africa. XVII. Species of the X. imitator group (Nematoda: Dorylaimida). Phytophylactica 19 :419–432, 1987.
Kruger, J. C. de W. (1988). Description of the male of Xiphinema magaliesmontanum Kruger & Heyns, 1986. Nematologica 33:355–357, 1987.
Kruger, J. C. de W. (1988a). The uterine differentiation in Xiphinema. Phytophylactica 20:233–251.
Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1988b). Notes on the cytogenetics of some South African Xiphinema species (Nematoda: Longidoridae). S. Afr. J. Zool. 23:337–341.
Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1989). Observations on the oviduct in Xiphinema (Nematoda: Dorylaimida). Nematologica 34:493–496 (1988).
Kruger, J. C. de W. (1990). Variation in tail morphology of Xiphinema theresiae Stocker & Kruger, 1988 (Nematoda: Dorylaimida). Phytophylactica 22:259–260.
Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1990). Notes on the female reproductive system of Xiphidorus Monteiro, 1976 (Nematoda: Longidoridae). Nematol. medit. 18:47–51.
Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1991). Unusual membranous network with spines in the uterus of Xiphinema coomansi (Nematoda: Longidoridae). J. Morphol. 209:15–21.
Kruger, J. C. de W. (1991). Ultrastructure of sperm development in the plant-parasitic nematode Xiphinema theresiae. J. Morphol. 210:163–174.
Kruger, J. C. de W. (1991). Morphological transformation and intracellular migration of mitochondria in the male gamete of Xiphinema (Nematoda: Longidoridae). E.M.S.S.A. 21:213–214.
Marais, M. & Kruger, J. C. de W. (1991a). Cytogenetics of some South African root-knot nematodes (Heteroderidae:Nematoda). Phytophylactica 23:265–272.
Van de Velde M.C., Coomans, A., Van Ranst, L., Kruger, J. C. de W. & Claeys M. (1991). Ultrastructure of sperm cells in the female gonoduct of Xiphinema. Tissue & Cell 23:881–891.
Kruger, J. C. de W., Kilian, S, & Heyns, J. (1992). The genus Xiphinema Cobb, 1913 in southern Africa. XXXII. X. parasimplex spec. nov., and notes on X. machoni Hunt, 1980 and X. heynsi Siddiqi, 1979 (Nematoda: Longidoridae). Phytophylactica 24:271–278.

Conference Abstracts Published in Peer-Reviewed Scientific Journals

Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1985). Comparative morphology of the gonads of a number of Xiphinema species from South Africa (Nematoda :Longidoridae). Phytophylactica 17:113.
Kruger, J. C.de W. (1987). New data on the morphology and arrangement of spines in the uteri of some Xiphinema species. Revue Nematol. 9 (1986):300.
Kruger, J. C. de W. (1989). Spines in the uteri of some Xiphinema species (Nematoda: Dorylaimida). SA. Tyds. Nat. & Teg. 6:183 (Afr.).
Kruger, J. C. de W. & Britz, A. (1989). Sperm cells of eelworms, SA. Tyds. Nat. & Teg. 8:41 (Afr.).
Kruger, J. C. de W. (1989). Sperm cell ultrastructure and spermatogenesis in some Xiphinema species. Phytophylactica 21:212.
Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1990). Ultrastructure of sperm cells and spermatogenesis in some Xiphinema species (Nematoda: Longidoridae). SA. Tyds. Nat. & Teg. 9:59 (Afr.).
Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1990). The female reproductive system of Xiphidorus Monteiro, 1976. Nematropica 20:6.
Kruger, J. C. de W. & Heyns, J. (1990a). Ultrastructure of the spines in the uterus of Xiphinema coomansi Kruger & Heyns, 1986. Nematologica 36:365.
Kruger, J. C. de W. (1991). Enigma of oocyte movement through the oviduct of Xiphinema. Phytophylactica 23:192.

Paper/Poster Presentations at Symposia

Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (Annual Meeting at RAU), on 21–22 June, 1982. Paper: J. C. de W. Kruger & G.L. Smit – ‘Some aspects of the spermatology of fresh water fishes’. (Afr.).
Silver Jubilee Symposium–ZSSA (PU for CHE), 2–6 Julie, 1984. Paper: J. C. de W. Kruger & J. Heyns–‘Comparative morphology of the gonads and kariology of several South African Xiphinema species’. (Afr.).
Nematological Society of southern Africa–7th Symposium (Stellenbosch), 2–3 April 1985. Paper: J. C. de W. Kruger & J. Heyns—‘Comparative morphology of the gonads of a number of Xiphinema species from South Africa (Nematoda: Longidoridae)’ (Abstract no. 1)
ZZSA & PARSA (joint symposium in Johannesburg), 15–18 July, 1986. Poster: J. C. de W. Kruger–‘Some observations regarding sperm cell morphology in the genus Xiphinema (Nematoda: Dorylaimida) in Southern Africa’. (Afr.).
18^th International Nematological Symposium, Antibes, France, 7–12 September, 1986. Paper: J. C. de W. Kruger ‘New data on the morphology and arrangement of spines in the uteri of some Xiphinema species’ (see Abstract no. 2)
Nematological Society of southern Africa–8th Symposium (PU for CHE), 7 — April, 1987. Poster: J. C. de W. Kruger — ‘Spines in the uteri of some Xiphinema species (Nematoda: Dorylaimida)’ (Afr. see Abstract no. 3)
Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (Annual Meeting in Pretoria), 23–24 June, 1987. Poster: J. C. de W. Kruger — ‘Spines in the uteri of some Xiphinema species (Nematoda: Dorylaimida)’.
Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (Annual Meeting in Potchefstroom) — 21–22 June, 1988. Poster: J. C. de W. Kruger & A. Britz — ‘Eelworm sperm cells’ (see Abstract no. 4).
Nematological Society of southern Africa–9th Symposium (Golden Gate Highlands National Park), 25–28 April, 1989. Paper: J. C. de W. Kruger–‘Sperm cell ultrastructure and spermatogenesis in some Xiphinema species’ (see Abstract no. 5).
Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (Annual meeting in Bloemfontein), 20–21 June, 1989. Paper: J. C. de W. Kruger & Juan Heyns–‘Ultrastructure of sperm cells and spermatogenesis in some Xiphinema species’ (see Abstract no. 6).
XXI OTAN Annual Meeting, Tucuman, Argentina, 6–10 November, 1989. Paper: J. C. de W. Kruger & Juan Heyns — ‘The female reproductive system of Xiphidorus Monteiro, 1976’ (see Abstract no. 7).
Second International Nematology Congress, Veldhoven, The Netherlands, 11–17 Augustus, 1990. Paper: J. C. de W. Kruger & Juan Heyns — ‘Ultrastructure of the uterine spines and network in Xiphinema coomansi’ (see Abstract no. 8).
Nematological Society of Southern Africa–10th Symposium (Wilderness), 7–10 April, 1991. Poster: J. C. de W. Kruger–‘Enigma of oocyte movement through the oviduct of Xiphinema’ (see Abstract no. 9).
E.M.S.S.A., UCT 2–5 December, 1991. Paper: J. C. de W. Kruger — ‘Morphological transformation and intra-cellular migration of mitochondria in the male gamete of Xiphinema (Nematoda: Longidoridae)’ (see publ. no. 19).

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