Biogeology research group

• Dr. Márton Rabi
• Dr. Felix Augustin
• Prof. Hervé Bocherens

Scientific network

• …

2025

Thorben Grohrock (B.Sc. Geowissenschaften): 
Taxonomy of Diplocynodon sp. in Messel. (M. Rabi, H. Bocherens)

2023

Jeremias Glöggler (M.Sc. Geowissenschaften): 
Paleoecology and phylogeny of secondarily terrestrial crocodile-relatives. (H. Bocherens, M. Rabi)

Anne Bettermann (B.Sc. Geowissenschaften): 
Schädelbeschreibung von Titanochelon vitodurana aus dem Mittleren Miozän der Molasse: taxonomische Annahmen und Inspektion der zeitlichen und räumlichen Verteilung von Risenlandschildkröten in Mitteleuropa. (M. Rabi, H. Bocherens)

Simona Scarpati (M.Sc. Earth Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II): 
Dental tissues δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C stable isotopes baseline for paleoenvironmental studies in NW Iran during the Late Miocene. (P. Raia, H. Bocherens, C. Baumann)

2020

Samuel Stern (M.Sc. Geowissenschaften): 
Isotope tracking of Messel (Eocene) and Schöningen Pleistocene fauna. (H. Bocherens,  D. Drucker)

* Georgalis, G.L., Rabi, M., Smith, K.T., 2021. Taxonomic revision of the snakes of the genera Palaeopython and Paleryx (Serpentes, Constrictores) from the Paleogene of Europe. Swiss Journal of Paleontology 140: 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13358-021-00224-0

* Habinger, S., Chavasseau, O., Jaeger, J.J., Chaimanee, Y., Merceron, G., Chit Sein, Aung Naing Soe, Bocherens, H., 2022. Evolutionary ecology of Miocene hominoid primates in Southeast Asia. Scientific Reports 12: 11841. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15574-z

* Habinger, S.G., Chavasseau, O., Ducrocq, S., Chaimanee, Y., Jeager, J.J., Sein, C., Aung Naing Soe, Stern, S., Bocherens, H., 2023. Isotopic niche modelling of the mammal fauna from the Pondaung Fm., Myanmar, shows microhabitat differences. Insights into paleoecology and early anthropoid primate habitats. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 11: 1110331. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1110331/full 

* Kampouridis, P., Svorligkou, G., Kargopoulos, N.,  Augustin, F.J., 2022. Reassessment of ‘Chilotherium wegneri’ (Mammalia, Rhinocerotidae) from the late Miocene of Samos (Greece) and the European record of Chilotherium. Historical Biology 34: 412-420. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2021.1920939

Kampouridis, P., Hartung, J., Augustin, F.J., 2023. The Eocene-Oligocene vertebrate assemblages of the Fayoum Depression, Egypt. In: Hamimi, Z. et al. (Eds) The Phanerozoic Geology and Natural Resources of Egypt, Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation, pp. 373-405. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95637-0_14 

* Kampouridis, P., Hartung, J., Augustin, F.J., El Afty, H., Ferreira, G.S., 2023. Dental eruption and adult dentition of the enigmatic ptolemaiid Qarunavus meyeri from the Oligocene of the Fayum Depression (Egypt) revealed by micro-computed tomography clarifies its phylogeneic position. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 199: 1078-1091. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad065 

* Kocsis, L., Rabi, M., Ulianov, A., Cipriani, A., Farkas, I. M., & Botfalvai, G., 2023. Geochemical investigation of the mixed Máriahalom vertebrate fauna at the Paleogene–Neogene boundary in the Central Paratethys: environmental conditions and age constrain. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology, 142(1), 17.

* Massonne, T., Augustin, F.J., Matzke, A.T., Weber, E., Böhme, M. 2021. A new species of Maomingosuchus from the Eocene of the Na Duong Basin (northern Vietnam) sheds new light on the phylogenetic relationships of tomistomine crocodylians and their dispersal from Europe to Asia. Journal of Systematic Paleontology 19: 1551-1585. https://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2022.2054372

* Massonne, T., Augustin, F.J., Matzke, A.T., Böhme, M., 2023. A new cryptodire from the Eocene of the Na Duong Basin (northern Vietnam) sheds new light on Pan-Trionychidae from Southeast Asia. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 21(1): 2217505. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14772019.2023.2217505

* Massonne, T., Augustin, F.J., 2025. Re-evaluation of historic putative caimanine material from the lower Palaeocene Salamanca Formation in Patagonia (Argentina). Fossil Record 28(1): 147-163. https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.28.e150567 

* Palci, A., Onary, S., Lee, M. S., Smith, K. T., Wings, O., Rabi, M., & Georgalis, G. L., 2024. A new booid snake from the Eocene (Lutetian) Konservat-Lagerstätte of Geiseltal, Germany, and a new phylogenetic analysis of Booidea. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 202(2), zlad179.

* Rabi, M., Walter, J., Darlim, G., Massonne, T., A. Aase, E., Frey (2022). On the origin of Caimaninae: insights from new fossils of Tsoabichi greenriverensis and a review of the evidence. Historical Biology, 34(4), 580-595. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2021.1938563 

* Ring, S.J., Bocherens, H., Wings, O., Rabi, M., 2020. Divergent mammalian body size in a stable Eocene greenhouse climate. Scientific Reports https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60379-7 media report 1 media report 2

* Villa, A., Wings, O., Rabi, M., 2022. A new gecko (Squamata, Gekkota) from the Eocene of Geiseltal (Germany) implies long-term persistence of European Sphaerodactylidae. Papers in Paleontology e1434  https://doi.org/10.1002/spp2.1434

* Walter, J., Darlim, G., Massonne, T., Aase, A., Frey, E., Rabi, M., 2022. On the origin of the Caimininae: insights from new fossils of Tsoabichi greenriverensis and a review of the evidence. Historical Biology 34: 580-595. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2021.1938563 media report