PD Dr.Florian Witzmann

Scientist / (Senior) Scientist

• Dynamics of Nature

• Evolutionary Morphology

The focus of my research is the question how sensory systems and larval life cycles evolved in early amphibians (temnospondyls). I also study skeletal pathologies of fossil vertebrates to reconstruct aspects of their physiology, behavior and lifestyle.

Vita

Career: Since 06/2016: Curator for fossil fishes and amphibians at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin 12/2019-04/2020: Scientific project at the Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Australia (Endeavour Leadership Award) 12/2014-05/2016: Feodor Lynen-Research Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, USA. Hosts: Prof. Elizabeth Brainerd and Prof. Peter Richardson. 04/2009-11/2014: Curator for fossil fishes and amphibians at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin 2008: Guest scientist at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin 2006 - 2007: Post-doc with own project on dermal bone histology of early tetrapods funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany 2005: Guest scientist at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin 2002-2003: Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Germany: research assistant within the DFG project "Ontogeny and metamorphosis of Palaeozoic amphibians" of Prof. Hans-Peter Schultze and Dr. Rainer Schoch. Education: 11/2014: Habilitation. Subject: "Physiological aspects of the fish-to-tetrapod transition - skin structure, breathing and feeding in early tetrapods". Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany. Mentor: Prof. Johannes Müller. 09/2004: PhD "Morphology and paleobiology of the Permo-Carboniferous temnospondyl amphibian Archegosaurus decheni Godfuss, 1847 from the Saar-Nahe Basin, Germany". Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany. Supervisor: Prof. Hans-Peter Schultze. 02/2001: Diploma in Geology-Palaeontology, Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany. 10/2000-02/2001: Diploma mapping for the Geological Survey of Baden-Württemberg (LGRB) in Middle Triassic and Early Jurassic strata of southern Germany. Supervisors: Andreas Etzold and Prof. Hans-Ulrich Pfretzschner. 2000: Diploma thesis: "Morphometric analyses of the ontogeny of Micromelerpeton credneri (Amphibia, Temnospondyli)" (In German.) Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany. Supervisor: Prof. Hans-Ulrich Pfretzschner. 1995-2001: Study of Geology/Palaeontology at Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany.

Further information

Activities in the Academic System: 2008–present: Editor for Fossil Record, Editor-in-Chief since 2022 2010–present: Member of the Mary R. Dawson Predoctoral Fellowship Grant Committee, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Regular teaching at Humboldt University of Berlin: • MB5 Zoology specialization, course director: Prof. John Nyakatura; responsible for a course each summer semester • MB30 Fundamentals of Paleobiology, course director: Prof. Jörg Fröbisch; lectures, specialized course, and seminar each winter semester • M. Ed. Bio 10 Special Topics in Biology 2, course director: Dr. Peter Giere; lectures and seminar each winter semester