PD Dr. Florian Witzmann

Scientist

Florian.Witzmann@mfn.berlin+49 0 30 889 140 - 8820

Contact Meta Informationen

Area:
Dynamics of Nature
Department:
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.

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

Project(s)

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

Publications

Capasso, L., Witzmann, F. (2025). Atavisms in †Pycnodontomorpha (Osteichthyes: Actinopterygii). Palaeodiversity, 18(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.18476/pale.v18.a3Open Access

Schaeffer, J., Wolff, E., Witzmann, F., Ferreira, G.S., Schoch, R.R., Mujal, E. (2024). Paleobiological implications of chevron pathology in the sauropodomorph Plateosaurus trossingensis from the Upper Triassic of SW Germany. PLoS ONE, 19(7), e0306819. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306819Open Access

Capasso, L., Ebert, M., Witzmann, F. (2024). Skeletal and integumental paleopathologies in †Pycnodontomorpha (Osteichthyes: Actinopterygii). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen, 313(1), 39-66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1127/njgpa/2024/1218

Schoch, R.R., Gastou, S., Steyer, J.S., Mujal, E., Moreno, R., Witzmann, F. (2025). Morphology and ontogeny of the plagiosaurid temnospondyl Plagiosternum granulosum from the Middle Triassic of Germany. PalZ. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-025-00748-7Open Access

Cornille, A., Beguesse, K., Wolff, E., Zinner, C., Asbach, P., Clarac, F., Witzmann, F. (2025). Skeletal pathologies in extant crocodilians as a window into the paleopathology of fossil archosaurs. The Anatomical Record, ar.70079. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.70079Open Access

Schoch, R.R., Witzmann, F. (2024). The evolution of larvae in temnospondyls and the stepwise origin of amphibian metamorphosis. Biological Reviews, 99(5), 1613-1637. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.13084Open Access

Prino, A., Witzmann, F., Schwermann, A., Garbay, L., Sander, P., Konietzko-Meier, D. (2024). How not to disappear completely: New Stereospondyli fossils from the Rhaetian (Upper Triassic) of Bonenburg (North Rhine-Westphalia) and their implications for the Late Triassic extinction of Stereospondyli. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 69. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4202/app.01147.2024Open Access

Witzmann, F., Fröbisch, N. (2023). Morphology and ontogeny of carpus and tarsus in stereospondylomorph temnospondyls. PeerJ, 11, e16182. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16182Open Access

Schoch, R.R., Witzmann, F., Werneburg, I., Werneburg, R., Mujal, E., Moreno, R. (2025). The morphology and evolutionary history of the temnospondyl genus Cyclotosaurus with a focus on material from Germany. PalZ, 99(3), 319-337. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-025-00729-wOpen Access

Werneburg, R., Witzmann, F. (2024). The last eryopids: Clamorosaurus and Syndyodosuchus from the late Kungurian (Cisuralian, Permian) of Russia revisited. Fossil Record, 27(3), 353-380. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.27.e125460Open Access

Capasso, L., Witzmann, F. (2024). Non-dental odontodes in the masticatory apparatus of †pycnodonts (Osteichthyes, Actinopterygii). Historical Biology, 37(9), 2065-2070. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2405882Open Access

Ruta, M., Witzmann, F., Klembara, J., Fröbisch, N. (2024). Tempo and mode of skull size evolution in Temnospondyli (Tetrapoda: Amphibia) and lineage diversification in the largest group of early tetrapods. Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 115(3-4), 212-234. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S175569102400015X

Jensen, L.K., Hartmann, K.T., Witzmann, F., Asbach, P., Stewart, P.S. (2024). Bone infection evolution. Injury, 55, 111826. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2024.111826Open Access

Witzmann, F., Ruta, M., Fröbisch, N., Paß, S., Herrmann, E. (2024). Editorial: 25 years of ‘Fossil Record, an International Journal of Palaeontology’. Fossil Record, 27(3), 291-293. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.27.143987Open Access

Capasso, L., Ebert, M., Witzmann, F. (2024). Dental paleopathologies in †Pycnodontiformes (Osteichthyes: Actinopterygii). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen, 311(3), 299-341. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1127/njgpa/2024/1193

Witzmann, F., Schoch, R.R. (2024). Osteology and phylogenetic position of Plagiosaurus depressus (Temnospondyli: Plagiosauridae) from the Late Triassic of Germany and the repeated loss of dermal bones in plagiosaurids. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 202(3), zlae014. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae014