Dr. Christian Foth

Scientist / (Senior) Scientist

Christian.Foth@mfn.berlin+49 0 30 889 140 - 8415
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Department:
Evolutionary Morphology

I am a research group leader within the framework of the Heisenberg Programme of the German Research Foundation (DFG). My work focuses on the evolution of tetrapods, with a special emphasis on dinosaurs and the origin of birds. I am particularly interested in the interplay between ontogeny (individual development) and phylogeny (evolutionary development).

I work in the laboratories:
3D LaboratoryPaläontologische Präparationslabore
I work in the collections:
Fossil VertebratesHerpetologyOrnithology

Project(s)

  • Third-Party Funded Project

    Postnatal ontogenetic patterns within the Avialae (Dinosauria, Theropoda)

    The aim of the project is to analyse ontogenetic changes in modern birds in the context of phylogeny, ecology and modes of development. By comparing them with fossil protobirds and predatory dinosaurs, the project investigates the role of heterochronic developmental shifts in the origin of birds.

Publications

Spiekman, S., Foth, C., Rossi, V., Martín, C., Slater, T., Enright, O., Dollman, K., Serafini, G., Seegis, D., Grauvogel‐Stamm, L., McNamara, M., Sues, H., Schoch, R. (2025). Triassic diapsid shows early diversification of skin appendages in reptiles. Nature, 643, 1297-1303. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09167-9Open Access