Amniota Lab
The evolution of vertebrates, diversification and adaptation processes
Research
Our research focuses on fossil and terrestrial vertebrates, including lizards and snakes, as well as herbivorous mammals. We concentrate on the causes of evolutionary diversification and the processes that lead to the emergence of new species.
We combine anatomical, palaeontological, molecular and ecological approaches. Much of our fieldwork takes place in Africa and the Mediterranean region – both in the search for fossils and in the study of living species. For morphological research, we use 3D visualisation and computed tomography for qualitative and quantitative analyses.
Key areas
The Evolution of True Lizards (Lacertidae)
The Old World lizards (Lacertidae) are among the most diverse groups of reptiles in Europe, Africa and Asia. They comprise a Palearctic radiation as well as a predominantly tropical African group.
We investigate how environmental factors influence the evolution of species in different climate zones. This includes adaptations to desert conditions as well as to cooler habitats. Fossils from recent geological history provide insights into how environmental changes have shaped the evolution of modern lacertids. In addition, we analyse adaptations of lizards to urban habitats, including in Berlin.
Evolution of snakes and snake-like body forms
Using amphisbaenians (double-sliders) and lacertids, we investigate how four-legged reptiles evolved into limbless, elongated body forms.
Another focus is on the evolution of snakes, particularly on fossil diversification and the development of venom systems. Using diffusible iodine contrast computed tomography (DICE-CT), we reconstruct soft tissues such as muscles and venom glands in three dimensions. We are further developing this method in collaboration with international partners.
Vertebrate faunas of Sudan in the Pleistocene
Since 2018, the team has been investigating fossil deposits in the upper reaches of the Atbara Valley in Sudan. Fossils and stone tools from the Middle to Late Pleistocene have been identified near Khashm-el-Girba.
This work extends the known range of sites along the Atbara and Setit rivers by more than 100 kilometres. The finds document the transition from the Acheulean to the Mesolithic, as well as the development of modern African ecosystems in the context of the emergence of Homo sapiens. The project was initially funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and National Geographic, and is now part of an international ERC project led by Faysal Bibi.
Vertebrate faunas of Arabia in the Late Miocene
In the Al Gharbia region of the United Arab Emirates, rocks from the Late Miocene, dating back some seven million years, are being studied. Previous work led to the discovery of numerous fossils. Since 2002, an international team has significantly expanded the number of sites and finds.
The finds include mammals, fish, birds and reptiles. They provide new insights into the climate, ecology and environmental relationships within the landscape of what is now a desert region. Findings have been published, among other places, in the monograph *Sands of Time: Ancient Life in the Late Miocene of Abu Dhabi* (Springer, 2022).
Palaeoecology of African antelopes
Antelopes (Bovidae) are the most species-rich family of terrestrial large mammals. Fossil finds from the Neogene provide detailed insights into their evolution.
We use these fossils to reconstruct past environmental conditions and ecological relationships. Sites where fossil hominins are also present are particularly relevant. The analyses allow us to draw conclusions about the development of habitats and community structures from the late Miocene to the late Pleistocene.
Conservation Palaeobiology in Africa
Together with partners in the UK, the USA and Kenya, we are studying Late Cenozoic fossils in Africa. The aim is to analyse the long-term effects of environmental changes on vertebrate communities.
The results serve to better predict future developments and support decision-making in nature conservation. In parallel, we are building a database of Cenozoic African reptiles and working on an East African research and training network.
Phylogenetics and diversification of ruminants
Environmental changes have a significant influence on the evolution of mammals. Factors such as temperature, precipitation and oxygen availability affect distribution, community structure, as well as speciation and extinction.
Using ruminants as a case study, we investigate the relationships between the environment, ecological traits and evolution. To this end, we combine data on fossil and extant species to reconstruct diversity dynamics and compare them with environmental changes.
Evolution of cold-blooded vertebrates in the Quaternary
Focusing on Europe and Australia, we analyse reptile and amphibian communities during the Quaternary, i.e. over the last 2.6 million years.
The aim is to understand the relationships between environmental changes, community structure and possible anthropogenic influences. To this end, we use, amongst other things, 3D imaging and geometric morphometry. In addition, we conduct ecological studies on modern species, for example in cave deposits in the Balearic Islands and at the Pisede site.
3D geometric morphometry
3D scans enable quantitative comparisons of skull shape in living and fossil species. This allows for precise analysis of morphological differences within and between species.
The data enables investigations into the relationship between body size and body shape, as well as changes in characteristics over evolutionary time scales. To this end, the research group utilises the museum’s visualisation laboratories, which are equipped with micro-CT and surface scanners.
Museum DNA and integrative taxonomy
Zoological collections often contain genetic information from extinct or endangered species. This DNA can be extracted and analysed to reconstruct their evolutionary history.
We use museum specimens to investigate genetic diversity, ancestry and the geographical origin of populations. We also compare molecular and morphological data to analyse phylogenetic relationships within the framework of integrative taxonomy.
People
PD Dr Fayal Bibi, Ph.D.
PI
Email: Faysal.Bibi@mfn.berlin
Prof. Dr Johannes Müller
PI
Email: Johannes.Mueller@mfn.berlin
Iris Menéndez Ph.D.
Researcher
Email: Iris.Menendez@mfn.berlin
Dr Roberto Rozzi
Visiting Researcher
Email: Roberto.Rozzi@mfn.berlin
Leonardo Sorbelli Ph.D.
Visiting Researcher
Email: Leonardo.Sorbelli@mfn.berlin
Dr Dario Fidalgo Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Email: Dario.Fidalgo@mfn.berlin
XD Sun
PhD Student
Email: Jijia.Sun@mfn.berlin
Publications (Selection)
Bibi, F., Boisserie, J.R. (2025). A new fossil buffalo from the Shungura Formation (Ethiopia) reveals the role of heterochrony in the evolution of Syncerus. PaleorXiv. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31233/osf.io/eh9s8_v5
Bibi, F. (2025). A wetter ancient Arabia could have enabled easier intercontinental species dispersal. Nature, 640(8060), 890-891. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00905-7
Bibi, F., Cantalapiedra, J.L. (2023). Plio-Pleistocene African megaherbivore losses associated with community biomass restructuring. Science, 380(6649), 1076-1080. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.add8366
Blanco, F., Lazagabaster, I., Sanisidro, O., Bibi, F., Heckeberg, N., Ríos, M., Mennecart, B., Alberdi, M., Prado, J., Saarinen, J., Silvestro, D., Müller, J., Calatayud, J., Cantalapiedra, J. (2024). 60 million years of ecological shifts in large herbivore communities revealed by Network Analysis. EcoEvoRxiv. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32942/X2GW4F
æ Baird, C.N., Ernst, M., Waurick, I., Blom, M.P.K., Bibi, F. (2023). Integrative taxonomy using historical specimens provides evidence for a single species of bushbuck, Tragelaphus scriptus (Mammalia: Bovidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 200(2), 532-546. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad096
æ Blanco, F., Lazagabaster, I.A., Sanisidro, Ó., Bibi, F., Heckeberg, N., Ríos, M., Mennecart, B., Alberdi, M., Prado, J., Saarinen, J., Silvestro, D., Müller, J., Calatayud, J., Cantalapiedra, J.L. (2025). Two major ecological shifts shaped 60 million years of ungulate faunal evolution. Nature Communications, 16(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59974-x
æ Hempel, E., Faith, J.T., Preick, M., de Jager, D., Barish, S., Hartmann, S., Grau, J.H., Moodley, Y., Gedman, G., Pirovich, K.M., Bibi, F., Kalthoff, D.C., Bocklandt, S., Lamm, B., Dalén, L., Westbury, M.V., Hofreiter, M. (2024). Colonial-driven extinction of the blue antelope despite genomic adaptation to low population size. Current Biology, 34(9), 2020-2029.e6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.051
æ Mohammednoor, M., Bibi, F., Struck, U., Eisawi, A., Bussert, R. (2025). Pleistocene pedogenic carbonates from alluvial paleosols in eastern Sudan reveal a semi-arid and seasonal climate, similar to today. CATENA, 248, 108583. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2024.108583
æ Salih, K., Müller, J., Eisawi, A., Bibi, F. (2025). A new late Pleistocene fossil crocodile from Sudan reveals hidden diversity of Crocodylus in Africa. Scientific Reports, 15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-08980-6
æ Bibi, F. (2024). A Rhino from Lake Baikal. Peer Community in Paleontology, 100182. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24072/pci.paleo.100182
æ Fidalgo, D., Bibi, F., Pandolfi, L., Boisserie, J., Martino, R., El Eshraky, K., Palancar, C., Madurell‐Malapeira, J., Rosas, A. (2025). Impact of Life History on Hippopotamus Skull Ontogeny. Evolution & Development, 27(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ede.70013
æ Garcia‐Erill, G., Wang, X., Rasmussen, M.S., Quinn, L., Khan, A., Bertola, L.D., Santander, C.G., Balboa, R.F., Ogutu, J.O., Pečnerová, P., Hanghøj, K., Kuja, J., Nursyifa, C., Masembe, C., Muwanika, V., Bibi, F., Moltke, I., Siegismund, H.R., Albrechtsen, A., Heller, R. (2024). Extensive Population Structure Highlights an Apparent Paradox of Stasis in the Impala ( Aepyceros melampus ). Molecular Ecology, 33(22), e17539. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17539
æ Hagemann, J., Hofreiter, M., Bibi, F., Holroyd, P., Arnold, P. (2023). Is it inappropriate to ask for your age? Evaluating parameter impact on tree dating in a challenging clade (Macroscelidea). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 183, 107756. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107756
æ Wang, S., Jiangzuo, Q., Bibi, F., Zhang, C., Li, C., Li, S., Fu, J., Xing, L., Jiang, H., Guo, D., Zhang, Y., Ni, X., Meng, J., Deng, T. (2025). Central Asian radiation of modern large-mammal faunas in Miocene. Science Advances, 11(43), eadt5079. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt5079
Ramm, T., Gray, J.A., Hipsley, C.A., Hocknull, S., Melville, J., Müller, J. (2024). Are Modern Cryptic Species Detectable in the Fossil Record? A Case Study on Agamid Lizards. Systematic Biology, 74(3), 373-394. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syae067
æ Chowdhury, M., Müller, J., Al Haidar, I., Rahman, M., Noman, M., Ghose, A., Abu Sayeed, A., Amin, R., Sanz, L., Faiz, A., Kuch, U., Calvete, J. (2025). Interspecific and intraspecific variability in venom composition of Naja naja and Naja kaouthia (Reptilia: Elapidae) populations from different habitats in Bangladesh. Journal of Proteomics, 322, 105544. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jprot.2025.105544
æ Chowdhury, M.A.W., Müller, J., Ghose, A., Amin, R., Sayeed, A.A., Kuch, U., Faiz, M.A. (2024). Combining species distribution models and big datasets may provide finer assessments of snakebite impacts. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 18(5), e0012161. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012161
æ Keinath, S., Frisch, J., Müller, J., Mayer, F., Struck, U., Rödel, M. (2023). Species‐ and sex‐dependent changes in body size between 1892 and 2017, and recent biochemical signatures in rural and urban populations of two ground beetle species. Ecology and Evolution, 13(7), e10329. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10329
æ Kirchner, M., Ortega, J., García‐Roa, R., Müller, J., Martı́n, J. (2025). Intrapopulational variation in head shape correlates with soil structure heterogeneity in a head‐first burrowing amphisbaenian, Trogonophis wiegmanni. Journal of Zoology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.70008
æ Ramm, T., Roycroft, E., Gray, J., Hipsley, C., Hocknull, S., Müller, J., Melville, J. (2025). Climate change predicts Quaternary extinctions and extant genetic diversity in a threatened Australian lizard. Current Biology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.09.067
æ Woodgate, S., Pérez‐Cembranos, A., Pérez-Mellado, V., Müller, J. (2025). Microgeographic diversity does not drive macroevolutionary divergence in bite force of the Ibiza wall lizard, Podarcis pityusensis. Evolution. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpaf140
æ Freisem, L.S., Müller, J., Sues, H.D., Sobral, G. (2024). A new sphenodontian (Diapsida: Lepidosauria) from the Upper Triassic (Norian) of Germany and its implications for the mode of sphenodontian evolution. BMC Ecology and Evolution, 24(1), 35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-024-02218-1
æ Lauer, D.A., Lawing, A.M., Short, R.A., Manthi, F.K., Müller, J., Head, J.J., McGuire, J.L. (2023). Disruption of trait-environment relationships in African megafauna occurred in the middle Pleistocene. Nature Communications, 14(1), 4016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39480-8
æ Pacher, K., Breuker, M., Hansen, M.J., Kurvers, R.H.J.M., Häge, J., Dhellemmes, F., Domenici, P., Steffensen, J.F., Krause, S., Hildebrandt, T., Fritsch, G., Bach, P., Sabarros, P.S., Zaslansky, P., Mahlow, K., Müller, J., Armas, R.G., Ortiz, H.V., Galván‐Magaña, F., Krause, J. (2023). The rostral micro‐tooth morphology of blue marlin, Makaira nigricans. Journal of Fish Biology, 104(3), 713-722. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15608
æ Parker, A.K., Müller, J., Boisserie, J.R., Head, J.J. (2023). The utility of body size as a functional trait to link the past and present in a diverse reptile clade. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(7), e2201948119. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2201948119
æ Siciliano‐Martina, L., McGuire, J.L., Hurtado‐Materon, M.A., Short, R.A., Lauer, D.A., Schap, J.A., Müller, J., Manthi, F.K., Head, J.J., Lawing, A.M. (2024). Ecometrics demonstrates that the functional dental traits of carnivoran communities are filtered by climate. Ecology and Evolution, 14(10), e70214. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70214
Clark, G.E., Palci, A., Laver, R.J., Hernandez-Morales, C., Perez-Martinez, C.A., Lewis, P.J., Thies, M.L., Bell, C.J., Hipsley, C.A., Müller, J., Montero, R., Daza, J.D. (2024). The specialized inner ear labyrinth of worm-lizards (Amphisbaenia: Squamata). PLoS ONE, 19(11), e0312086. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312086
Paiva, C.L., Hipsley, C.A., Müller, J., Zaher, H., Costa, H.C. (2024). Comparative skull osteology of Amphisbaena arda and Amphisbaena vermicularis (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae). Journal of Morphology, 285(5), e21702. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.21702
æ Royer, A., Crétat, J., Laffont, R., Gamboa, S., Luna, B., Menéndez, I., Pohl, B., Montuire, S., Fernández, M. (2025). Late Pleistocene temperature patterns in the Western Palearctic: insights from rodent associations compared with general circulation models. Climate of the past, 21(10), 1821-1851. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1821-2025
æ Menéndez, I., Zelditch, M.L., Tejero-Cicuéndez, H., Swiderski, D.L., Carro-Rodríguez, P.M., Hernández Fernández, M., Álvarez-Sierra, M.Á., Gómez Cano, A.R. (2023). Dietary adaptations and tooth morphology in squirrels: Insights from extant and extinct species. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 629, 111788. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111788
æ Quesada, A., Fernández, M., Menéndez, I. (2025). Cranial morphology in flying squirrels: diet, shape, and size disparity across tropical and temperate biomes. Frontiers in Zoology, 22(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00556-4
Tejero-Cicuéndez, H., Menéndez, I., Talavera, A., Mochales-Riaño, G., Burriel-Carranza, B., Simó-Riudalbas, M., Carranza, S., Adams, D.C. (2023). Evolution along allometric lines of least resistance: morphological differentiation in Pristurus geckos. Evolution, 77(12), 2547-2560. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpad166
Wiemann, J., Menéndez, I., Crawford, J.M., Fabbri, M., Gauthier, J.A., Hull, P.M., Norell, M.A., Briggs, D.E.G. (2023). Reply to: Amniote metabolism and the evolution of endothermy. Nature, 621(7977), E4-E6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06412-x
Sorbelli, L., Azzarà, B., Cherin, M., Delfino, M., Roček, Z., Villa, A. (2025). Why extant, why not extinct? A new extinct Latonia species (Anura: Discoglossidae) from the Early Pleistocene of the Apennine Peninsula provides clues on the survival of the genus in Eurasia. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 23(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2025.2554727
Bellucci, L., Lucenti, S., Masini, F., Rook, L., Sorbelli, L., Cioppi, E. (2025). Darwin’s Leptobos. Historical Biology, 1-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2513880
Rozzi, R., Lomolino, M.V., Van Der Geer, A.A.E., Silvestro, D., Lyons, S.K., Bover, P., Alcover, J.A., Benítez-López, A., Tsai, C.H., Fujita, M., Kubo, M.O., Ochoa, J., Scarborough, M.E., Turvey, S.T., Zizka, A., Chase, J.M. (2023). Dwarfism and gigantism drive human-mediated extinctions on islands. Science, 379(6636), 1054-1059. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.add8606
æ Callaghan, C.T., Borda-de-Água, L., Van Klink, R., Rozzi, R., Pereira, H.M. (2023). Unveiling global species abundance distributions. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 7(10), 1600-1609. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02173-y
æ Searing, K.B., Lomolino, M.V., Rozzi, R. (2023). Melting climates shrink North American small mammals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(50), e2310855120. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2310855120
æ Xiong, Y., Rozzi, R., Zhang, Y., Fan, L., Zhao, J., Li, D., Yao, Y., Xiao, H., Liu, J., Zeng, X., Xu, H., Jiang, Y., Lei, F. (2024). Convergent evolution toward a slow pace of life predisposes insular endotherms to anthropogenic extinctions. Science Advances, 10(28). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adm8240
Macaluso, L., Villa, A., Rozzi, R., Fabre, A., Mennecart, B. (2025). Time to grow up: the PETM climatic event favoured metamorphosing salamanders (Urodela, Salamandridae). Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, 292(2052). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.1333
Siarabi, S., Kostopoulos, D.S., Bartsiokas, A., Rozzi, R. (2023). Insular aurochs (Mammalia, Bovidae) from the Pleistocene of Kythera Island, Greece. Quaternary Science Reviews, 319, 108342. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108342
