WHAT DO WE DO ?
My group works on museomics, macroevolution, convergent evolution, phylogeography, speciation, and systematics. We are particularly interested in answering the big questions that surround the evolution of extreme miniaturisation in vertebrates, especially the causes and consequences of miniaturisation. Most group members' projects are currently focused on the Cophylinae, a species-rich and ecomorphologically diverse radiation of Madagascar-endemic microhylid frogs that has undergone miniaturisation numerous times.
The group is diffuse: it is centred with me at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, but group members are currently at the University of Potsdam, University of Leipzig, and Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, in Germany.
Group Members
PI
Dr rer. nat. Mark D. Scherz – Curator of Herpetology & Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Vertebrate Zoology
Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen
I am an evolutionary biologist interested in macroevolution, convergent evolution, bio- and phylogeography, speciation, and systematics. My work explores the origins of diversity and the repeated emergence of extreme phenotypes, especially miniaturisation, using the reptiles and amphibians of Madagascar as a main focal system. My group currently also works on these animals, but I am interested in expanding to other, relevant systems and questions. For more information, check out my About page.
Postdoc
Dr Alice Petzold, PhD – Postdoc (since 2021)
University of Potsdam
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in the AG Hofreiter at Potsdam University interested in animal taxonomy, phylogenetics, phylogeography, speciation, evolution and conservation. My particular expertise lies in the molecular analysis of past biodiversity using samples gathered from museum specimens. Given the highly degraded nature of these samples, I am using different ancient DNA approaches to isolate DNA for further genetic analyses including data from contemporary conspecifics.
My current project focuses on cophyline frogs, a diverse clade endemic to Madagascar that suffered a substantial underestimation in species diversity in the past. My aim is thus to resolve cophyline taxonomy whilst accounting for all yet undescribed species using a newly established type-specimen explicit protocol for integrative species delimitation, including morphological, osteological and molecular data from modern and museum specimens.
PhD student
Ade Prasetyo Agung – PhD candidate (since 2022)
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
I am a PhD student in Biodiversity Research Group, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. I am interested in herpetofauna ecology, evolution, phylogenetics, bio- and phylogeography, speciation, and systematics.
Currently I am working on an overlooked gekkonid lizard genus Hemiphyllodactylus, mainly from fragmented ecosystem such as karstic landscapes in Southern China and Southeast Asia. I will be co-supervised by Mark in investigating cryptic diversity and expansion history of the gecko, and discussing conservation issues related to its high degree of endemicity.
Ade is co-supervised by Dr Wen-Bin Yu of XTBG, CAS, China.
Master’s students
Kajsa Sofia Reinholdt Lundkvist – Master's Student (2024–2025)
University of Copenhagen
I am a master's student at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. I have a wide interest in all of zoology, but especially within the area of herpetology. Previously, I have worked on behavioural studies of plain zebras, pathogenic fungi on termites, and a wide range of other animal groups. Now, I seek to further explore amphibians. My thesis will focus on the morphology, taxonomy, and evolution of species within the genus Anodonthyla of Madagascar.
Joakim Matthiesen – Master's Student (2024–2025)
University of Copenhagen
I am a master's student at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. My interests range widely within evolutionary ecology and the diversity of life. Particularly, I find tropical ecosystems and speciation processes fascinating. Besides my academic interests, I am also a very keen birder, traveling within Denmark and around the world to experience the beauty of avian diversity. Additionally, I work voluntarily with bird banding. During my thesis, I will be working with the Platypelis grandis species complex of frogs from Madagascar, aiming to clarify taxonomic problems using both morphological and genetic methods.
Bachelor’s students
Alberte Nicoline Pilemand – Bachelor's Student (2024)
University of Copenhagen
I am currently doing my bachelor at the University of Copenhagen. Herpetology is a fairly new field to me but I have found an interest in ecology, biogeography and conservation. I volunteer at the Natural History Museum of Denmark with Mark, where I am also writing my bachelor's thesis on the museum's herpetological collection from the Danish Noona Dan expedition, focusing on species identification, morphometrics, species distribution and biogeography.
Jonathan Rask Licht – Bachelor's Student (2024)
University of Copenhagen
I am a bachelor’s student at the University of Copenhagen. My main interests center around ecology and evolution. I’m especially fascinated by the complex relationships between species in relation to their environment and how this drives evolutionary change, both at the morphological and at the genomic level. I’m currently working with the morphological properties of skulls belonging to frogs from the Microhylid subfamily Cophylinae.
Christian Thrane – Bachelor's Student (2023–2025)
University of Copenhagen
I am a bachelor student at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. My main interest lies within Herpetology, and specifically evolutionary biology, phylogenetics, allopatric and parapatric speciation. I am working at the Natural History Museum of Denmark as a Student Assistant, where I am also volunteering with Mark, registering material from the collection. My projects are focusing on the toad genus Nectophrynoides.
Desiree Schumann – Bachelor's Student (2022–2024)
University of Potsdam
I am an undergraduate student in the AG Hofreiter at the University of Potsdam. I am currently working on the morphometrics of cophyline frogs (an endemic subfamily on Madagascar). I am generally interested in phylogeny, bioinformatics and palaeogenomics, especially the morphological and osteological aspects of animals.
Alumni
Clara Keusgen – Bachelor's Student (2022–2023)
University of Potsdam
Clara completed her Bachelor project (co-supervised by Prof. Michael Hofreiter, University of Potsdam) on frogs of the genus Anodonthyla in early 2023. She is currently a Master's student at the University of Potsdam. We are continuing to work on a manuscript arising from her work.
Joris Fleck – Erasmus+ Bachelor's Student (2022–2023)
University of Leipzig
Joris completed his Erasmus+ Bachelor's project (co-supervised by Prof. Sebastian Steinfartz, University of Leipzig) on frogs in the genus Stumpffia in 2022. He is currently master's student at the Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, Munich. We are continuing to work on a manuscript arising from his work.
Martina Badia Cardet – Erasmus+ Bachelor's Student (2023)
University of Barcelona
Martina completed her Bachelor thesis on the ecomorphological evolution of agamid lizards, taking into account their habitats and structural niches, focussed especially on their locomotion, and thus mainly on their limbs.
Collin Bos – Erasmus+ Master's Student (2022–2023)
Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich
Collin completed his Master's thesis for the Evolution, Ecology, and Systematics programme at the LMU. His thesis was on mitochondrial genome evolution in cophyline microhylid frogs. We are continuing to work on a manuscript arising from his work.