Biogeologie

Dr. Chris Baumann
Postdoctoral researcher

Hölderlinstrasse 12
72070 Tübingen, Germany

S532
+49 (0) 7071 29-78900
chris.baumannspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de
ResearchGate
 

Science Communication via
Instagram ( @synanthropicfox)
Bluesky
 

Curriculum vitae

since 05/25PI position (DFG Grant “Drill a little bit deeper” Project ID: 539325077) at the Senckenberg HEP Institute (Tübingen) |Studying the trophic and spatial changes in the life of individual foxes and wolves from the Late Pleistocene by using stable isotope analysis (C/N/S/Sr) and Bayesian mixing models to understand early phase of domestication and paleo-synanthropism 
11/24 - 04/25Postdoctoral researcher at the Senckenberg HEP Institute (Tübingen) for the ERC Project MAMBA (Grant agreement ID: 101045245) | responsible for Bayesian statistic modelling of isotopic data
11/23 - 10/24Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Geoscience (University Tübingen) and the University of Glasgow (UK, Powerful Plants: EPSRC grant no.: EP/X025160/1) | responsible for preparation and analysis of δ15N of single amino acids from subfossil human bone collagen and (plant)diet reconstruction; Conducting isotopic treatment experiments of plants
01/22 - 10/23Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Geosciences and Geography (Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Finland; Academy of Finland project no.: 341622) | responsible for palaeoecological reconstructions, including δ13C and δ18O isotopic analysis and environmental niche modelling
2020 - 2021Research associate in the laboratories of the Biogeology Research Group | responsible for Bayesian statistic models, writing research proposal, teaching, and δ13C, δ15N, δ34S isotopic analysis on subfossil bone collagen
2017 - 2020

Doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.), 27.11.2020

2014 - 2016M.Sc. in Archaeological Sciences - Zooarchaeology, University of Tübingen, Germany
2011 - 2015

Natural History Museum Erfurt 

  • Professional training in taxidermy (vertebrates and invertebrates) and zoological collection management
  • Thereafter: Self-employed as taxidermist | Skeletal preparation & collection management
2007 - 2011B.A. in Prehistoric Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Jena, Germany

Publications

2025

Bourgon, N., Lüdecke, T.,  Leichliter, J. N.,  Baumann, C.,  Brömme, S., Vink, M.,  Bacon, A.-M.,  McCormack, J., Nguyen, T. M. H., Nguyen, A. T., Antoine, P.-O., Ponche, J.-L., Duringer, P., Demeter, F., Boualaphane, S., Luangkhoth, T., Dufour, E., Hublin, J.-J., Jaouen, K., Tütken, T.,  Martinez-­ Garcia, A., Roberts, P. (2025): Faunal persistence and ecological flexibility in Pleistocene Southeast Asia revealed through multi-isotope analysis. Science Advanced. 10.1126/sciadv.adu3642

Hussain, S.T. & Baumann, C. (2025): Did Intermediate Aurignacian foxes at Isturitz develop human-oriented diatary preferences? Comment on: Berlioz et al. 2025, Aurignacian groups at Isturitz (France) adapted to a shifting environment upon their arrival in Western Europe ~42,000 years ago. Journal of Human Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103735

Panagiotopoulou, T., McCartin, M.J., Münzel, S.C., Drucker, D.G., Starkovich, B.M., Brown, S., Tafelmaier, Y. & Baumann, C. (2025): Magdalenian environments and ecosystems of the northern Alpine foreland: The case of Gnirshöhle and Petersfels. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. DOI: 10.1007/s12520-025-02230-6.

Baumann, C., Kandel, A. & Hussain, S.T. (2025): Evidence for the catalytic role of humans in the assembly and evolution of European Late Pleistocene scavenger guilds. Quaternary Science Reviews. DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109148. 

Baumann, C., Larbey, C., Ebner, M., Bocherens, H., Hardy, K. (2025): The effect of plant food treatment on stable isotopes and their relevance for archaeological studies: A methodological pilot study. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory.  DOI: 10.1007/s10816-024-09690-5.

Krajcarz, M., Baumann, C., Bocherens, H., Presslee, S., Krajcarz, M.T. (2025): Collagen to collagen prey-predator trophic discrimination factors (Δ13C, Δ15N) in Late Pleistocene cave hyena – a case study of a bone-eating carnivore. Quaternary Research. DOI: 1110.1017/qua.2024.43.

2024

Hussain, S.T. & Baumann, C. (2024): The human side of biodiversity - coevolution of the human niche, palaeo-synanthropy and ecosystem complexity in the deep human past. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 379: 20230021.
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0021

2023

Krajcarz, M.J., Baca, M., Baumann, C., Bocherens, H., Popović, D., Sudoł-Procyk, M., Krajcarz, M. (2023): New insights into Late Pleistocene cave hyena paleoecology and population history – biomolecular study of bone accumulation from Perspektywiczna Cave, Poland. Radiocarbon. DOI: 10.1017/RDC.2023.89.

Baumann, C., Hussain, S.T., Roblíčková, M., Riede, F., Mannino, M. Bocherens, H. (2023): Evidence for hunter-gatherer impacts on raven diet and ecology in the Early Gravettian of Southern Moravia. Nature Ecolology and Evolution. DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02107-8.

Furtwängler, A., Baumann, C., Majander, K., Wilkin, S., Tomoum, N., Rühli, F., Jaeggi, A., Eppenberger, P., Bender, N., Schuenemann, V.J. (2023): The Mummy Explorer – a self-regulated open-access online teaching tool. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoad009

Baumann, C. (2023): The paleo-synanthropic niche: a first attempt to define animal’s adaptation to a human-made micro-environment in the Late Pleistocene. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 15, 63. DOI: 10.1007/s12520-023-01764-x

2022

Bergström, A., […] Baumann, C., […] & Skoglund, P. (2022): Gray wolf genomic history reveals a dual ancestry of dogs. Nature 607, 313–320. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04824-9. 

2021

Baumann, C., Pfrengle, S., Münzel, S.C., Molak, M., Feuerborn, T., Breidenstein, A., Reiter, E., Albrecht, G., Kind, C.-J., Verjux, C., Leduc, C., Conard, N.J., Drucker, D.G., Giemsch, L., Thalmann, O., Bocherens, H., Schuenemann, V.J. (2021): A refined proposal for the origin of dogs - The case study of Gnirshöhle, a Magdalenian cave site. Scientific Reports 11:5137. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83719-7

< 2021

Baumann, C., Wong, G.L., Starkovich, B.M., Münzel, S.C. & Conard, N.J. (2020): The role of foxes in the Upper Palaeolithic economies of the Swabian Jura (Germany). Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 12 (208). DOI: 10.1007/s12520-020-01173-4.

Drucker, D.G., Bridault, A., Baumann, C., Ducrocq, T. & Valentin, F. (2020): Environment and human subsistence in Northern France at the Late-Glacial to early Holocene transition. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 12(194). DOI: 10.1007/s12520-020-01149-4.

Baumann, C., Bocherens, H., Drucker, D.G. & Conard, N.J. (2020): Fox dietary ecology as a tracer of human impact on Pleistocene ecosystems. PLOS ONE 15(7): e0235692. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235692

Krajcarz, M., Krajcarz, M.T., Bacac, M., Baumann, C., Makowiecki, D., van Neer, W., Noryśkiewicz, A.M., Popović, D., Sudoł-Procyk, M., Tomek, T., Wach, B., Wilczyński, J., Wojenka, M. & Bocherens, H. (2020): Ancestors of domestic cats in Neolithic Central Europe: Isotopic evidence of a synanthropic diet. PNAS, 201918884. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1918884117

Baumann, C., Starkovich, B.M., Drucker, D.G., Münzel, S.C., Conard, N.J. & Bocherens, H. (2020): Dietary niche partitioning among Magdalenian canids in southwestern Germany and Switzerland. Quaternary Science Reviews 227, 106032. DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106032

Wißing, C., Rougier, H., Baumann, C., Comeyne, A., Crevecoeur, I., Drucker, D.G., Gaudzinski-Windheuser, S., Germonpre, M., Gomez-Olivencia, A., Krause, J., Matthies, T., Naito, Y.I., Posth, C., Semal, P., Street, M. & Bocherens, H., (2019): Stable isotopes reveal patterns of diet and mobility in the last Neandertals and first modern humans in Europe. Scientific Reports 9, 4433. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41033-3

Baumann, C. & Gornetzki, K. (2017): Postcranial differences in sex and species of pine marten (Martes martes L., 1758) and beech marten (Martes foina Erxl., 1777). Palaeodiversity 10, 7 – 23. DOI: 10.18476/pale.v10.a2

Teaching

Winter semester 2024/2026 & Summer semester 2026

  • Bio-BEE-211: Säugetiere im Freiland (Lecture, Seminar, Excusion)
  • Bio-3160: Zoologie II: Faunistische und floristische Freilandmethoden (Seminar)
  • tba: Cave ecology and archaeology (Seminar, Excursion)
  • Geowiss-M401-Ü2: Isotopes in bones and teeth (Lab course)

Teaching experience

  • Säugetiere im Freiland
    Lecture, Seminar, Excursion | 2018 - present
  • Cave ecology and archaeology
    Seminar, Excursion | 2025 - present
  • Zoologie II: Faunistische und floristische Freilandmethoden
    Seminar (Guest lecturer), Excursion (Guest lecturer) | 2018 - present
  • Vertebraten II
    Excursion (Guest lecturer) | 2017, 2018, 2025
  • Isotopes in bones and teeth
    Lecture (Guest lecturer), Practical course (Guest lecturer) | 2020 - present
  • Betreuen von Sammlungen
    Lecture, Seminar | 2015 – 2019
  • Domestication as a research concept
    Seminar | 2017
  • Microfauna in archaeological context
    Seminar, Practical course | 2016 – 2018

 

Supervision of students

Ongoing
  • Luca Baumann (Dept. of Biology: B.Sc. Biology): “Trophic niches of wolf individuals from Lausitz” (working title)
  • Nicole Riedinger (Dept. of Biology: B.Sc. Biology): “Long-term ecology of Thuringian wildcats” (working title)
  • Luisa Weinert (Dept. of Geoscience: M.Sc. Geoecology): “Isotopic Insights into the Diet and Foraging Behavior of Wolves in Eastern Germany: A Comparison of Two Packs from Bautzen and Görlitz (Lausitz) over two decades“ (working title)
2024
  • Ayenne Sara Akarsu (Dept. of Biology: B.Sc. Biology): “Pilotstudie zur Haarisotopenanalyse für die Wildkatze, Hauskatze und Hybride aus dem Markgräflerland und Taunus“ | joint publication under review
2023
  • Simona Scarpati (University of Napoli Federico II: M.Sc. Earth science): “Dental tissues δ18O and δ13C stable isotopes baseline for paleoenvironmental studies in NW Iran during the Late Miocene” | joint publication in preparation
  • Theoni Panagiotopoulou (Dept. of Geoscience: M.Sc. Scientific Archaeology): “Magdalenian environments and ecosystems: The case of Gnirshöhle” | joint publication based on this thesis: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-025-02230-6 

 

Hosting and supervision of external students

2025
  • Masoumeh Khoshyar (ERASMUS, PhD student: Brno, Czech Rep.): Lab work on CO isotopes from small mammal teeth
  • Kawtar El Mohippe (Senckenberg Global Fellowship, PhD student: Rabat, Morocco): Lab work on CNS isotopes and paleogenetic of early canids in Morocco

Research

Research focus

  • Ecology of Pleistocene and modern faunal communities
  • Ecological niche partitioning of carnivores and scavengers
  • Anthropogenic impact on animal’s niches and resulting behavioral changes
  • Animal’s adaptation on human-made ecosystems, such as agriculture and urban environment
  • (Early) symbiotic relationships between humans and animals, such as (paleo-)synanthropism and domestication

Projects

Ongoing Projects
Past Projects

Methods & expertise

  • Niche, behavior and environment reconstruction of extinct and modern animals and hominins
  • Bayesian mixing modeling for stable isotopic data in R, as well as frequence and descriptive statistics
  • Collagen extraction and CNS isotopic analysis of (fossil) bone collagen and hair
  • Carbonate pretreatment and CO isotopic analysis of (fossil) tooth enamel
  • Oxidation-denitrifier method for N isotopic analysis of (fossil) tooth enamel
  • NAIP derivatization method for CN isotopic analysis of individual amino acids from (fossil) collagen
  • Zooarchaeological determination of mammal bones, taphonomic analysis, and palaeoclimatic and environment reconstructions
  • Several monitoring techniques for mammals, such as camera trapping, bat echo-detecting, and advanced animal tracking
  • Zoological and zooarchaeological collection management, preparation, collection building, conservation, database maintenance, digital collection management

Scientific activities

1st Chairperson of the German Archäozoologenverband (AZV) 
AZV contact person at the University of Tübingen

Memberships
  • Deutscher Archaeozoologenverband (AZV) | 2024 – present
  • Gesellschaft für Urgeschichte (GfU) | 2023 - present
  • European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) | 2022 - present

Review editor for

Conference session organization

  • 29th EAA Annual Meeting in Belfast (UK, 2023)
    “Companions, Competitors, Fellow-Travelers - Biomolecular and Zooarchaeological Evidence of Past Human-Predator Interactions”
  • 30th EAA Annual Meeting in Rome (Italy, 2024)
    “The Beasts Among Us: A Closer Look at Synanthropic Human-Animal Relations in the Past”

Public outreach

2025

Kinderuniversität Tübingen

2023

Grundkurs Archäologie, online public lecture (www.urmu.de) 

2018 – 2022

Archäoakademie Blaubeuren (www.urmu.de)

2019

Teaching mammal monitoring and conservative biology during the “ELI Nachhaltigkeitstage” (sustainability days) at the Elisabethenschule in Hofheim/Taunus (www.eli-hofheim.de) 

2014 – 2019 

"Steinzeitwerkstatt" (Stone Age Workshop) as well as workshops for the “Tag der Offenen Höhle” (Open Cave Day) at the Museum of Prehistory (www.urmu.de), Blaubeuren