Centre of Taxonomy and Evolutionary Research (ZTE)

In this project, we study the number, form and function of the tail feathers (rectrices) of all bird families from an evolutionary perspective.

Bite forces have been associated with head size and shape in most lizards. However, they also depend on underlying functional factors such as territoriality, mating, or defensive behaviors.In the project funded by the Margarethe Koenig award, rock lizards of the genus Darevskia will be studied concerning these underlying factors.

Bothropoids are a highly diverse group of pitvipers whose phylogeny is not yet sufficiently clear given the uncertain, unclear or conflicting position of many species. Our goal is to assess the contribution of new data and an increased taxon sampling for the outgroup on clarifying the phylogeny of bothropoids. New data includes new morphological and molecular characters, additional data of poorly known species, data of species described recently, and data of putative new species.

The uplift of the Himalaya-Tibet Orogen (HTO) has significantly influenced the global climate and due to its massive elevations and river incisions it likely acts as a ‘species pump’. However, our understanding of the historical biogeography of species in the HTO is far from being comprehensive, as are details of the spatiotemporal evolution of its uplift. The Himalaya plays a key role in elucidating these processes.

The objective of this work is to provide a commented list on the herpetofauna of Estação Ecológica Estadual Wenceslau Guimarães, municipality of Wenceslau Guimarães, southern Bahia, Brazil. This Conservation Unit is located in the Central Corridor of the Atlantic Forest and has an area of 2,418 hectares.

Establishing an extensive ecological profile of a population is of outmost importance in conservation efforts and landscape management. The sand lizard (Lacerta agilis LINNAEUS, 1758) is a widely spread Eurasian species that prefers open to half-open habitats. This includes areas in close proximity to humans like road and railroad edges or quarries. Therefore, the species is often victim of disturbances, destruction or fragmentation of its habitat and therefore subject to a lot of compensative measures.

Although blindsnakes include many superlatives, such as the world’s smallest and most widespread living snake species they have largely been neglected in vertebrate research. Nonetheless, they tell a very interesting evolutionary story and – being of Gondwana origin - their relationships track place tectonics better than those of any other vertebrate group. With the help of micro-computer-tomography (µCT) and geometric morphometric analyses we aim to understand the evolution of several morphological characters (e.g. skull, cervical vertebrae, pelvic girdle).

The critically endangered Angel Shark (Squatina squatina) has suffered a vast fragmentation of its former distribution range, leaving the Canary Islands as a unique “hotspot” where this Angel Shark can be regularly encountered.

A "Weatherstation" counting species diversity (AMMOD = Automated Multisensor Station for Monitoring of Species Diversity).

In this project we study two Ethiopian francolin species, focusing on proper conservation and land use management.

Chromodorididae is a sea slug group known for the most colorful members. The aposematic coloration is usually discussed in the light of their toxicity. While feeding on sponges, they take up the toxic compounds and store them in special structures along the notum margin. They are used as defense against predators, like fish or crabs. We investigate the evolution and efficiency of these so-called mantle dermal formations within Chromodorididae

The implementation of the permanent "Rainforest" exhibition is one of the most complex exhibition projects at the ZFMK. As the first part, the "Understorey" could be inaugurated in April 2016.

The goal of this project is to infer a phylogeographical hypothesis of a selected group of Lepidoptera, the subtribe Pronophilina, based on comprehensive phylogenetic and distributional data, and by doing so, to propose spatial and temporal patterns for the evolution of Andean faunas. The hypothesis is that the study group evolved in South America, and that its radiation is congruent with the uplift of the Andes and changing paleoclimates, hence with the availability of suitable habitats in South and continental Central America. ​

The bristle millipedes (Penicillata: Polyxenida) differ from all other millipedes (Diplopoda) by possessing a non-calcified cuticle, trichobothria and bristles arranged in tufts. In all present phylogenetic analyses the Polyxenida are retrieved as sistertaxa to all remaining millipedes. Therefore, understanding the morphology of bristle millipedesis essential for our understanding of the millipede evolution.

One female Caucasian Tur (Capra caucasica) was equipped with a collar that detected head movement using acceleration sensors in 3D. The animal was observed for up to two hours per day for several months and the noted behaviour was correlated with the sensor data in order to train an algorithm for automated behaviour detection. The analyses were done in R with the Random Forrest algorithm. The results show that over 20 different classes of behaviour (including head postures, rumination, different locomotion types) can be identified with very high accuracy (>95%).

M.S. Merian is known for her expedition to Suriname and her book Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensius 1705

This study aims to understand morphological variation and its potential influence on the distribution of 26 species of Neotropical parrots along an elevation gradient in the Manú National Park in southern Peru.

Among antelopes, the gerenuk (Litocranius walleri) is unique since it browses almost exclusively on tree-foliage at great heights by standing on its hind legs. In addition to this peculiar behavior, the gerenuk is exceptional in having a distinct adult cranial morphology including a very elongate and thick occiput. The development of the typical shape of the occipital bone is a postnatal process, but to date the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We use 3D geometric morphometric for investigating the changes in skull shape from juvenile t adult gerenuks.

This project focuses on the spider subfamily Ninetinae, tiny cryptic ground-dwellers that are largely restricted to arid habitats. They seem to be ‘basal’ within Pholcidae and thus crucial for reconstructing the evolutionary history of the family.

1) Species delimitation of entirely or partially sympatric and taxonomically difficult species complexes in the light of genome-wide data2) Species delimitation under allopatry with no or limited gene flow at present3) Species delimitation of parapatric populations with hybridization zone and reduced gene flow4) Species delimitation in presence of asexuality​

The goal of this project is to assess the Trichoptera diversity in Ghana, and especially of the Ankasa Conservation area. Additionally, we want to generate a reference Barcode library for Ghanean caddisflies, since very few barcodes exists from species occurring in Ghana.

Parnassius apollo (Papilionidae) is an iconic butterfly species with a wide distribution from Spain to China. The distribution is, however, very spotwise, and e.g. in Germany only a few populations remain. It is the only non-tropical butterfly protected under the CITES The goal of this project is to use whole genome sequencing to investigate the genetic diversity of Parnassius apollo across space and time. To do this we will use both fresh and museum specimens collected across the range of the species, and during the last 120 years.

Monitor lizards are the largest living lizards. Although morphologically uniform, monitor lizards show remarkable differences in body size ranging from a mere 20 cm to more than three meters in total length. In addition, they show a wide range of ecological adaptations being terrestrial, arboreal or semi-aquatic. They inhabit Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, South and Southeast Asia as well as the Indo-Australian Archipelago including Australia and several remote Pacific island groups. Today, about 80 different species of monitor lizards are recognised but their diversity is still not completely known with new species being discovered in a regular manner. These remarkable giant reptiles, though of enormous economic importance in the international trade with reptile leather products and pets, as well as for spiritual relationships between human being and nature and as source of protein for the native people in their countries of origin, are an impressive example of our limited knowledge about the global biodiversity. Therefore, it is the intention of this project to remedy this severe deficiency at least partly.

Sulawesi, formerly known as Celebes, is the 11th largest island of the world and represents the largest landmass of the Wallacea biodiversity hotspot in Central Indonesia. Due to its geographic position and spatial isolation, Sulawesi harbours a unique mixture of typical Asian and Australian species with a high degree of endemism. The herpetofauna of Sulawesi has long been neglected despite various contributions by earlier scientists. Therefore, the goal of the project is to enhance our knowledge about the diversity and biology of the amphibians and reptiles of this interesting island.

Der Iran mit seiner durch Gebirgszüge und Wüsten geprägten Landschaft ist Heimat für vier Gazellenarten (Gazella subgutturosa, G. bennettii, G. arabica und G. marica). Das Projekt soll dazu beitragen, mithilfe molekularer Methoden die Taxonomie der Gattung Gazella besser zu verstehen und den Schutz dieser Tiere im Iran voranzubringen.

Within the genus Torymus (Chalcidoidea: Torymidae), very diverse parasitoid strategies and adaptations to its hosts have evolved. Its larvae are ectoparasitoids and attack mostly larvae of various gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) and gall midges (Cecidomyiidae). We study the coevolution of the genus Torymus and its hosts and target the question what kind of host shifts occurred during the evolution of the group. For this, we reconstruct the first phylogenomic tree for the the genus Torymus.

Animal locomotion is replete with examples of elaborate behavioral and morphological novelties that enhance performance. The adhesive apparatus of geckos is one such innovation, permitting locomotion in challenging micro-environments, such as on vertical or inverted smooth surfaces including smooth leaves, bamboo, and banana. This remarkable system generally involves a complex hierarchy of components: setae (microscopic beta-keratin hair-like structures), scansors (expanded digital scales), and modified skeletal elements, muscles and tendons of the foot and other parts of the limb.

As soil organisms, millipedes have limited dispersal abilities. Probably for this reason are many tropical species restricted to small areas of distribution, with a high-level of species turnover. In the course of this project the Pilbara area in Western Australia will be investigated for its millipede species of the genus Austrostrophus (Spirobolida).

In this project we investigate how we efficiently can use old, dried, museum materil for phylogenomic studies. A hybrid enrichment kit for Lepidoptera is being designed and first test are promising, indicating that hundreds of genes can be successfully seqeunced for over 130 year old material.

In diesem Projekt untersuchen wir die Funktions- und Ökomorphologie der adaptiven Radiation der Sonnenstrahlfische, von der indonesischen Insel Sulawesi. Dabei wollen wir einen besonderen Fokus auf den Kieferapparat und die Ernährungsweise legen. Hierfür werden verschiedene zwei- und dreidimensionale bildgebende Methoden genutzt, um die Unterschiede zwischen den Arten und den Geschlechtern besser darstellen zu können.

In this project, we study the structure of serrated flight feather fringes of various owl species.

Leibniz-Forschungsmuseen stellen erstmals gemeinsam aus: Das Museum Koenig wird vom 08.11.2016 bis zum 30.06.2017 (ebenso wie die anderen sieben Museen der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft) die Sonderausstellung „8 Objekte 8 Museen“ der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft präsentieren.

In the course of this project, a Master OEP student of the University of Bonn will learn how to do an integrative taxonomic description of an animal species. The student will do dissections and prepare samples for an integrative taxonomic description of two species of giant pill-millipedes from Madagascar, including DNA extraction, scanning electron microscopy, and micro-CT scans. The student will be required to thoroughly research the methods and suggest alternatives or modifications of the procedure to improve the results. This study will not only educate the student in doing scietific taxonomic descriptions using a variety a methods. The study is of additional relevance in the age of the international "biodiversity crisis", as rainforests in many countries are removed before their unique fauna can be scientifically named and described.

The main objective of the BMBF-funded project was to establish an international research consortium, consisting mainly of partners from Eastern and South-eastern Europe, in order to apply for funding for a multinational R&D project within the framework of Horizon 2020 or other EU programme.

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Southern Chinca is especially rich in caves. These caves are inhabited by a unique, still little-known fauna, especially diverse are different groups of millipedes. These cave millipedes, all show similar adaptation to the life inside a cave and look vastly different from their close relatives which live in the forests on the surface. Currently, a joint team of researchers from Russia, China and Germany studies general adaptations of millipedes to the life inside caves using comparative morphology.

The main objective of this project will be the study of the species of the family Syrphidae from New Caledonia. Entomological collections will be surveyed to complete the revision of the fauna of this country. I will especially focus on unidentified material in order to study their morphology and to report new species for this country and, ultimately, to find new species to science.

In the course of the GBOL- German Barcode of Life project, most millipede and centipede species of Germany were barcoded. This included the common blind Scolopendromorpha of the genus Cryptops. Here we expected to find three species, two common ones and one recently introduced, for Germany and Central Europe. However, our barcoding results show at least eight species to live in central Europe. Two of those could be identified to species level, represening first records for Germany and Austria.

The INDOBIOSYS project (financed by the BMBF through the Naturkundemuseum Berlin) deals with the integrative inventory of different animal groups at the Halimun-Salak Nationalpark on Java, Indonesia. A special focus lies on a fast inventory combining molecular and morphological data. The aim of the project is an inventory of the biodiversity of the park for the Indonesian state. Successively, pharmaceutical research for relevant substances in the animal taxa can then be conducted.The INDOBIOSYS Myriapoda part of the project will inventorize the millipedes.

Syrphidae, commonly called hover or flower flies, is one of the most diverse families of Diptera very attractive for citizen-scientists. Phylogenetic relationships among its main subfamilies and genera are still not totally understood; especially large genera such as Allobaccha Curran and Asarkina Macquart. This project aims to review both genera in order to describe the new species using new publishing tools, as well as to study their phylogenetic placement among other Syrphidae with the development of a workflow for Ultra-Conserved Elements or Anchored Hybrid Enrichment technique.

Interdisciplinary project on Maria Sibylla Merian and the strategies of visualisation of natural scientific knowledge.

Pill millipedes of the order Glomerida are especially species-rich in Europe. The collection of a conspicuous black pill millipede led after a long literature search to the discovery of the name Glomeris apuana Verhoeff, 1911. This name is apparently forgotten, not mentioned after 1927, and it does not appear in Fauna Europeae, recent Italien species lists, or recent European millipede atlases. Apparently, the species occurs in the Apuan Alps, and area renown for its Carrara Marble. A molecular genetic analysis, as well as a comparison with type material, will now help us to elucidate the status, distribution, and the relationships of this unusual pill millipede species.

Among the pill millipedes of the genus Glomeris only one species whose distribution is restricted to Germany, Glomeris malmivaga, can be found. Only a short time ago was G. malmivaga elevated to the rank of a full species. A genetic analysis of G. malmivaga and other species will now be conducted with the hope to clarify whether G. malmivaga is a true endemic or just a colour morph of a more widespread species of pill millipede.

The pill millipede Glomeris marginata is 'the' model organism inside the Myriapoda. Most embryonic studies, as well as important studies focussing on the development of segmentation (Evo-Devo) use Glomeris marginata as their study object. In this study,using DNA barcode fragments, the phylogeography of G. marginata is studied to get insights into the distribution of different genetic lineagues of the species accross Europe. G. marginata is the only species of Glomeris reaching the North of Europe, such as Great Britain, southern Skandinavia and northern Germany.

Rictal bristles apparently evolved convergently in many different bird families without necessarily having the same function. The aim of this comparative project is to interpret the occurrence of rictal bristles among different bird families with respect to their phylogeny and ecology.

Searching for the Golden-Eared Pill-Millipede (Glomeris aurita) - alpine high-altitude endemicsAlready in 2011 came a large collection of pill millipedes (order Glomerida), collected by the spider expert Dr. Axel Schönhofer, into our possession. This collection included an unusual species from northern Italy, collected from alpine meadows, an unusual habitat for millipedes which are usually found in forests.

The World Syrphidae Phylogeny (WSP) project is a community effort with the goal to provide the most robust molecular backbone to understand the evolution of the family Syrphidae.

Herpetological project

Erfassung der Fischfauna des Mesangat Feuchtgebietes, Kalimantan Timur, Indonesien

Landsnails of the genus Theba show an endemic radiation on the Canary Islands and the adjacent West African Continent.

As part of the activities of the "Heterocera Sumatrana Society", dealing with all kinds of moths, all Sumatran species of Geometridae are registered, studied, described and figured. Result will be published in the journal of the HSS.

The Holometabola are the insects with complete metamorphosis (larva, pupa, adult) and comprise > 60% of the described animal species. The project aims at solving the open questions in the phylogeny of the group, in order to get a better understanding of t

Longterm Mammal Monitoring since 2000 in a "Forever Wild" protected private forest in central Vermont.

In the frame of a long-term study of the Geometrid moths of the Centralasian mountains, the genus Sogdiana gen.n. is described. It is unusual in having a socalled "floricomus" in females, a structure with a as yet unsolved function.

Exploration of the montane forest of Panay Island.

Adaptive radiation of sailfin silversides (Telmatherinidae) in Sulawesi's ancient Malili Lakes.

Flower flies are one of the most diverse families of true flies (Diptera). In this project, we will study the biodiversity of flower flies among different habitats in one of the species-richest areas on Earth, the South of Ecuador.

This project will provide better knowledge of the biodiversity of flower flies that occur in the University Park of the UCLA (Lara, Venezuela). In addition, and the biological cycle of the predacious species of Syrphidae will be studied.

Small Mammal Monitoring for an Iron Ore Mining project in the Putu Mountains of Liberia.

The project explores the Speciation of these archaic beetles that survived since Tertiary only on the ancient islands rifting on the Thyrrenian sea.

The millipede fauna of Laos and Thailand is very little known. We discover and describe many new species together with colleagues from Frankfurt and Thailand.

In this pilot project we examine bird eggs of the Museum Koenig’s extensive egg collection using a white light scanner, focusing on a large set of clutches of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) and Gull-billed Terns (Gelochelidon nilotica).

The Southeast Asian and Pacific genus Holocneminus Berland is here revised for the first time, including analyses of phylogenetic relationships within the genus and with putative close relatives.

While asymmetric genitalia are very common in insects, they are extremely rare in spiders. This project studies a species group of Panjange spiders from the southern Philippines that has only recently been discovered and in which all species have asymmetric genitalia.

detail of tapestry Les deux taureaux, tapestry series Anciennes Indes, 2nd series, after carton of Albert Eckhout, 1689/90, Paris, Collection du Mobilier national

This project is a collaboration together with Dr. Keith Willmott and Dr. Akito Kawahara at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Several studies have shown that the current classification of this group delimitated by Walter Forster in 1964 is problematic and at least half of the around 40 genera are non-monophyletic. To stabilize the higher-level classification we want to generate about 400 loci for 100 species to use as a backbone phylogeny for the group and then add five loci for as many as possible of the remaining ~400 species.

Environmental and biological research is becoming central to major societal challenges related to the Earth’s ecosystems and climate dynamics. To handle the scale and complexity of the scientificquestions being addressed, there is a strong need to integrate knowledge because biological data are currently scattered and difficult to share.

Harvestmen genitalia are often complex structures that vary among species but little is known about their functioning. We investigate mating behavior, genital morphology as well as interactions of male and female genitalia using histology and X-Ray microtomography of cryo-fixed pairs.

AliGROOVE determines and visualizes the content of potentially randomized sequence similarities and alignment ambiguities in multiple sequence alignments.The AliGROOVE algorithm is an adaptation of the recently published ALISCORE masking algorithm (Misof & Misof, 2009, Kück et al., 2010). AliGROOVE summarizes site scores of profiles of sequence similarity normalized over the whole alignment length from each pairwise comparison and translates the obtained scoring distances between sequences into a similarity Matrix