Science Navigator | Museum für Naturkunde

SP1 Dynamics of Nature Evolutionary Diversity Dynamics Research Extinction of Species Fossils Earth Sciences Extinction selectivity during the latest Permian mass extinction Investigating if ocean acidification had a major role in the extinctions in the oceans
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Evolutionary Diversity Dynamics Research Morphology Fossils Laboratories Anatomy, ecology and ontogeny of Mesosaurs using 3D-Imaging Technologies My PhD project is to investigate different aspects of the anatomy and ecology of mesosaurs, using 3D imaging to understand their ecology and history, and to resolve the phylogeny of early amniotes.
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Evolutionary Morphology Research Morphology Evolution Fossils Developmental origin of tetrapod vertebral centra and the phylogenetic relationships of basal tetrapods and lissamphibians Study of the histology, morphology and ontogeny of vertebrae of Paleozoic and Mesozoic basal tetrapods, tetrapodomorph fishes and extant lissamphibians.
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Evolutionary Diversity Dynamics Research Genomics Amphibians Evolution Genetics Climate Change Biogeography and systematics of reptiles and amphibians and evolution of ecophysiological adaptations to climate in lacertid lizards The research focuses on the evolution of ecophysiological adaptations to climate in lizards as well as in other reptiles and amphibians. These two ectothermic animal groups are threatened by global changes, but the complex interactions of many factors are still poorly understood.
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Evolutionary Diversity Dynamics Research Biodiversity Evolution Fossils Earth Sciences Paleobiology, Evolution and Biodiversity of Paleozoic and Mesozoic Tetrapods The combination of paleontological fieldwork with modern 3D-imaging technologies and quantitative approaches sheds new light on the early patterns of diversification of major vertebrate clades.
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Evolutionary Diversity Dynamics Research Biodiversity Evolution Fossils Earth Sciences Diversity partioning during the Ordovician biodiversification The Ordovician witnessed a tremendous increase of marine biodiversity. Is this crucial phase of Earth's history based on ecological interactions or abiotic environmental factors?
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Evolutionary Morphology Research Morphology Evolution Fossils Palaeopathology of fossil vertebrates The project deals with the origin and evolution of diseases in fossil vertebrates.
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Solar System, Impacts & Meteorites Research Impact Earth Sciences Late Accretion onto Terrestrial Planets Impact and collision processes have shaped the evolution of the Earth-Moon system and the terrestrial planets significantly and have been key for the formation of habitable conditions on Earth.
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Evolutionary Morphology Research Morphology Evolution Fossils Physiology and mode of life of early tetrapods This permanent research field studies physiological aspects like breathing and feeding during the fish-to-tetrapod transition and the subsequent conquest of land by vertebrates
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Evolutionary Morphology Research Morphology Biodiversity Evolution Fossils Bone cells on the track The evolutionary history of bone cells will shed light on the development of bone metabolism throughout vertebrate history and especially against the background of major evolutionary transitions.
Evolutionary Morphology SP2 Collection Future Research Morphology Mammals Biodiversity Digitalization Evolution In search of the origins of diversity The project looks at the involution of characteristics on a mammalian skull during individual development.
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Evolutionary Morphology Research Morphology Database Collection Biodiversity Open Science Digitalization Evolution Laboratories Real Power – Wasps and the muscles Apoidea and Vespoidea (aculeate hymenoptera) have a strongly distinct musculature. Using microCT scans and 3D segmentations with “Amira” the muscles are visualised and analysed at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.
Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery Research Genomics Morphology Database Collection Genetics Sphex – a digger wasp genus re-assessed In this project, a comprehensive analytical comparison is carried out for the first time, looking at members of the Sphex digger wasp genus (Sphecidae) from the major tropical regions on earth. By combining morphological with genetic data, the relationship between species is retraced.
Evolutionary Morphology Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery Research Research Infrastructure Collections Management Collection Biodiversity Taxonomy and phylogeograpy of Scopaeina (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) The diversity and evolution of Scopaeina is largely unknown. The aim of our long-term project is to re-assess the incredibly diverse monophylum of short-winged beetles (Staphylinidae) taxonomically and answer questions relating to their evolution and biogeography.
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Solar System, Impacts & Meteorites Research Impact Earth Sciences Petrogenesis and metallogenesis of layered intrusions Investigation of the mineralogy, textures (2D and 3D) and chemistry of chromitite layers, their host rocks and associated platinum-group element mineralization in layered intrusions.
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Solar System, Impacts & Meteorites Research Impact Earth Sciences Meteoritic traces in Archean spherule layers in the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa We investigate Archean spherule layers from the Barberton Greenstone Belt (BGB) that constitute >3.2 billion year old impact deposits that are amongst the earliest relics of impact on this planet.
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Solar System, Impacts & Meteorites Research Impact Earth Sciences Impact and shock metamorphism The impact metamorphism causes characteristic shock effects in minerals and rocks, which were investigated by mineralogical methods for the improvement of the shock classification.
SP1 Dynamics of Nature Solar System, Impacts & Meteorites Research Impact Earth Sciences Genesis and emplacement of melt-bearing impact breccias (suevite) We perform new detailed mineralogical und chemical studies on melt-bearing impact breccias from the Ries structure to better understand the dynamics of their formation and emplacement.
SP2 Collection Future Research Research Infrastructure Collections Management Collection Laboratories Development of a simplified procedure for testing the suitability of materials for scientific collections A test run for a simplified indicator test carried out in three natural history museums and collections (MAT-CH)
SP2 Collection Future Research Research Infrastructure Collections Management Mammals Collection The threat to the collection of animal hides – and how we are going to protect them This research project focuses on the degradation processes in the historic skins and hides of mammals in natural history collections. The causes of decay must be better understood in order to develop sustainable treatment methods that stabilise the hides.

Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung