2nd annual MGSE Symposium - Institute for Evolution and ...

2 nd annual MGSE Symposium 

INTERDISCIPLINARY GRADUATE STUDENTS‘ SYMPOSIUM 

INSTITUTE FOR EVOLUTION AND BIODIVERSITY 

Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster 

18 th & 19 th June 

Münster, Germany 

1

2 nd annual MGSE Symposium 

ABSTRACT BOOK 

Edited by Johanna Solbach and Johanna Petri 

Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity 

Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster 

3

4 

Impressum 

2 nd MGSE Symposium 

Abstract book 

Symposium of the „Münster Graduate School of Evolution“ Initiative at the Westfälische Wilhelms- 

Universität, 18 th -19 th June 

Design and typesetting by Johanna Solbach and Johanna Petri 

Edited by Joachim Kurtz and Christoph Preuss 

Layout style from: „Evolution Across Fields“ Abstract book by Mandy Quade, Nina Schleimer 

Münster Graduate School of Evolution Initiative: http://ieb.uni-muenster.de/mgsei 

Coordinator: J. Kurtz, Institut für Evolution und Biodiversität, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität 

Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, D-48149 Münster, Tel.: 49-(0)251-83-21027 

http://ieb.uni-muenster.de/

Programme 7 

address from the rector’s office 13 

introduction 15 

Public lecture by richard goldstein 18 

Public lecture by helge Karch 20 

research areas & abstracts 23 

sessIon 1 phIlosophy and mathematIcs 24 

abstracts 26 

sessIon 2 bIology 30 

abstracts 32 

sessIon 3 geoscIences 36 

abstracts 38 

sessIon 4 medIcIne 44 

abstracts 46 

botanical garden at the WWu 51 

history of the botanical garden 52 

maP & contact 58 

mgse-members 61 

addresses of Presenters 67 

table of 

contents 

5

programme 

7

8 

monday, 18 th June 

Programme 

13:30 Welcome address and 

15:45 Christoph Preuss 

Update MGSE 

introduction by Joachim Kurtz 

14:00 

Session 1: 

PhilosoPhy/mathematics 

Alexander Christian 

Das Demarkationsproblem und 

der wissenschaftliche Status des 

Intelligent Design 

Christiane Konnemann 

High school students’ attitudes 

towards evolutionary theory 

- a multidimensional approach - 

Felipe Torres 

Convergence of the optimal score 

and asymptotic proportion of gaps in 

random sequence comparison 

Dennis Bohle 

Conway‘s Game of Life V 

15:00 Coffee break 

16:00 

Session 2: 

biology 

Gerrit Hartig 

Development of a software tool for 

genome-wide phylogenetic analysis of TE 

insertions 

Tobias Sikosek 

Adaptive conflicts in protein evolution 

can be resolved by bi-stability and gene 

duplication 

Susanne Franssen 

Transcriptomic resilience to global 

warming in the seagrass Zostera marina, a 

marine foundation key species 

Florian Wünnemann/ Tabea 

Höhmann 

Biogeochemistry meets molecular 

evolution via metagenomics: tracing 

nitrogen fluxes from ecosystems to 

genomes in microbial communities

17:00 

17:15 

18:00 

18:30 

Short break 

Public lecture 

Richard Goldstein 

Decoding the evolutionary record: What advanced 

models of sequence change reveal to us about 

proteins 

Postersession 

buffet and social evening (open end) 

monday, 18 th June 

Programme 

9

10 

tuesday, 19 th June 

Programme 

9:15 

9:45 

10:45 

11:15 

Inaugural Talk by Francesco Catania 

How do genomes evolve? Lessons from 

Paramecium 

Session 3: 

geosciences 

David Dierkrup 

Variable redox conditions of the oceanatmosphere 

system and implications on 

biological activity during the deposition 

of the 2.3 Ga Timeball Hill Formation 

Denise Meister 

Biogeochemical evolution dressed in 

black: an update 

Katharina Siedenberg 

Stable isotopes revealing the origin 

of highly mineralized spring waters, 

Graubünden, SwitzerlandI 

Coffe break 

Public lecture 

Helge Karch 

Genome plasticity in EHEC 

12.15 Session 4: 

medicine 

Mona Riemenschneider 

Coordinate evolution of co-expression 

networks among linked gene clusters 

Neele Meyer 

The effects of genotype and social 

experience during adolescence on 

aggressiveness and anxiety later in life: 

pathology, constraint or adaptation 

Angela Noll 

Tailless Retropseudogenes in different 

Clades of Eukaryotes 

Milan Hiersche 

Discovering the genetic background 

of pediatric stroke by genomewide 

association 

13:15 lunch breaK and Poster 

session (open end)

Evolution is not only the change across successive generations in the inherited 

characteristics of biological populations in the Darwinian sense, the principles 

of evolution can also be applied to many other disciplines. This ranges from 

evolutionary medicine to the concepts of evolutionary economics or evolution 

of the universe. The WWU Münster is a large comprehensive university offering 

a wide range of disciplines for studies and research. It is a major strategic goal 

of WWU to take advantage of this diversity of research fields for developing an 

academic profile that crosses traditional boundaries. In this context, evolution 

research has become one of WWU´s focus areas since this topic is uniquely 

suited for an overarching research and teaching approach. The Graduate School 

of Evolution Initiative perfectly represents this unifying conceptual framework. 

After the first very successful meeting in 2011, this is now the second meeting 

where again excellent keynote speakers and WWU researchers from many 

different disciplines will meet and discuss the evolutionary principles from various 

angles. On behalf of the rectors council I thank the organizers for setting-up 

again an exciting program. I am sure it will again be inspiring for all participants. 

address from 

the rector‘s 

offIce 

Stephan Ludwig 

Center for Molecular 

Biology of Inflammation - 

ZMBE 

Molecular Virology 

Von-Esmarch-Straße 56, 

48149 Münster 

13

the münster graduate school of evolution 

initiative 

Evolution is uniquely suited as a topic for an interdisciplinary Graduate School, 

because it provides a unifying conceptual framework. The Münster Graduate 

School of Evolution (MGSE) is initially based on biology, medicine, geosciences, 

philosophy, mathematics, and theology. MGSE students will address a broad 

range of questions, ranging from the evolution of the Earth to the evolution 

of evolutionary theory. They will benefit from one another because similar 

general principles act across disciplines, thus allowing for common theoretical 

approaches and experimental testing at different levels. MGSE will set the 

stage for the rewarding exchange of ideas among its diverse group of students. 

The 2nd symposium of MGSE will provide the first cohort of MGSE 

doctoral students the opportunity to present and discuss their recently 

started research projects. Their presentations will be embedded into a 

number of contributions from doctoral students and postdocs from within 

the research groups connected via MGSE. Last but not least, some invited 

scientists will contribute to this symposium and discuss their research 

with the MGSE students. We look forward to fruitful discussions in the 

enticing environment of the Botanical Garden of the University of Münster. 

IntroductIon 

Joachim Kurtz 

Christoph Preuss 

Institute for Evolution 

and Biodiversity, 

Westfälische 

Wilhelms-University, 

Hüfferstraße 1, 


15

publIc lectures 

17

18 

biograPhy 

Richard Goldstein 

Public lecture by richard goldstein 

1989 PhD, Stanford Biophysics 

1989- 1990 Foreign teacher, Shanghai 

1990- 1993 Post doc - Peter Wolynes - U of Illinois - 

1993- 2002 Asst/Assoc Professor, Chemistry and Biophysics, U of Michigan 

2002-2003 Head of bioinformatics, Siena Biotech 

2003-present Programme Leader, National Institute for Medical Research, 

London, UK

DecoDing the evolutionary recorD: What aDvanceD moDels 

of sequence change reveal to us about proteins 

Nature has been performing ultra high throughput in vivo site-directed mutagenesis 

studies for the past few billion years. The resulting evolutionary record contains a 

wealth of information about proteins, their structure, function, and physiological 

context, and how proteins adapt to changing circumstances. Unfortunately, standard 

phenomenological models used to analyse sequence change generally assume the 

effects we are most interested in do not exist. By constructing more mechanistic 

models that explicitly consider the process of mutation and selection we can decipher 

the resulting patterns of sequence variation and conservation, providing us access to 

Nature’s lab notebook. We use these models to represent the nature of the selective 

constraints acting on protein sequences, to examine how protein sequences in 

influenza adapt to changes of host, and to characterise the effect of mutations on 

proteins - what proportions are deleterious, neutral, advantageous - an important 

distribution for modelling of population genetics. 

Publications 

Liberles, et. al. (2012) 

The interface of 

protein structure, 

protein biophysics, and 

molecular evolution. 

Protein Science 

Pollock, et al. (2012) 

Amino acid coevolution 

induces an evolutionary 

Stokes shift. PNAS 

Tamuri, et al. (2012) 

Estimating the 

distribution of selection 

coefficients from 

phylogenetic data using 

sitewise mutationselection 

models. 

Genetics 

19

20 

biograPhy 

Helge Karch 

Public lecture by helge Karch 

1979 Dipl. Biol., University of Darmstadt 

1982 PhD, University of Darmstadt, Prof. Dr. K. Nixdorff 

1982 - 1984 Fellow, Ruhr-University Bochum 

1984 - 1989 Fellow, University of Hamburg 

1989 Habilitation in Medical Microbiology, University of Hamburg 

1990 - 2001 Professor at the Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Bayrische 

Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg 

2001 - present Professor and Director of the Institute for Hygiene, Westfälische 

Wilhelms-University Münster

genome plasticity in ehec 

The bacterial genome size and organization is considerably variable. Bacterial 

chromosomes are not fixed molecules, either in evolution over long periods, or even 

in microevolution during human infection. Throughout infection, strong selective 

pressures are exerted on EHEC. The resulting genetic changes of these pathogens 

might influence clinical outcome and have impact on diagnosis and epidemiology. 

EHEC are an excellent example of this process. These bacteria cause diarrhea, bloody 

diarrhea, and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in humans, whereas in their natural 

habitat they are mostly asymptomatic colonizers of animals. Thus, EHEC have to 

react quickly in their ability to change from one milieu to another, and the greatest 

challenge might ensue when infecting humans. Transferable genetic elements such 

as bacteriophages and plasmids can function as vehicles laterally transporting genetic 

information, thus playing an important role in EHEC evolution. All EHEC possess Shiga 

toxin-converting bacteriophages, which can genetically modify its host after insertion 

into the chromosome rendering strains highly pathogenic. We have demonstrated 

that profound chromosomal changes occur during the brief period that EHEC pass 

through the human gut leading to gain and loss of virulence determinants. The role 

of transferable elements as vectors as well as the constantly ongoing recombination 

between different mobilizable and transferable DNA elements is exemplified by 

the description of the association of a multidrug resistance plasmid and by a large 

virulence plasmid in the 2011 outbreak strain O104:H4. This pathogen caused the 

largest outbreak of HUS in recorded history which centered in northern Germany 

in May and June 2011. The intensive study of human enteric factors that induce or 

modulate pathogen chromosome instability could open new vistas into host-microbial 

interactions. 

Publications 

Bielaszewska M. et 

al., ( 2012), Effects of 

Antibiotics on Shiga 

Toxin 2 Production and 

Bacteriophage Induction 

by Epidemic Escherichia 

coli O104:H4 Strain, AAC 

Zhang W. et al. (2012), 

Real-time multiplex PCR 

for detecting Shiga toxin 

2-producing Escherichia 

coli O104:H4 in human 

stools., JCM 

Müthing J. et al. (2012), 

Promiscuous Shiga 

toxin 2e and its intimate 

relationship to Forssman, 

Glycobiology 

21

esearch areas 

& abstracts 

23

Prof. Dr. Joachim Kurtz 1 

Prof. Dr. Michael 

Quante 2 

Westfälische Wilhelms- 

Universität 

1 



Hüfferstraße 1 


2 

Philosophisches Seminar 

Domplatz 23 


24 

Session 1: PhilosoPhy and mathematics 

Research in the field of evolution is embedded in a historical and social context. 

Since thinking in terms of evolution addresses ultimate questions like ´Where 

do we come from?`, it appears to attract intense and often controversial debate 

that covers a large range of diverse approaches and attitudes. It touches on 

topics such as biometaphysics, personal identity, biologial individuality, the 

historical evolution of evolutionary theory, and the relationship between 

biology and religious beliefs, including the challenges these might pose to 

science education. With the MGSE we will strive to ground debates on a strong 

scientific basis that includes aspects of the philosophy of science, ethics, 

evolutionary anthropology, and state-of-the-art research on the teaching of 

evolution.

Research in mathematics has often been stimulated by fields outside of 

mathematics, especially by natural sciences. While the most obvious connection 

is probably the one between mathematics and physics, also biology has 

influenced mathematical thinking for quite some time. 

In particular mathematicians have tried to model evolutionary processes ever 

since Mendel’s experiments and Darwin’s “On the origin of Species”. Such models 

nowadays are investigated in great detail and with the latest mathematical 

techniques. On the other hand, basic evolutionary concepts are the basis of 

modern strategies for solving complex problems such as genetic algorithms. 

A special stimulus has been given by the latest developments in genetics such 

that the establishment of mathematical biology as a distinct discipline is no 

longer in question and the people working in the field number in the thousands. 

This workshop sheds light on two branches of mathematical biology, one 

of the being Conway’s famous game of life, while the other one is intrinsically 

related to the problem of understanding the genetic code. 

Prof. Dr. Matthias Löwe 

Westfälische Wilhems- 

Universität 

Institute for Mathematic 

Statistics, 

Einsteinstraße 62 


25

Alexander Christian 1 

1 

Institute for Philosophy, 

Heinrich-Heine-University, 

Düsseldorf 

christian@ 

phil.uni-duesseldorf.de 

26 

Das Demarkationsproblem und 

der wissenschaftliche Status des Intelligent Design 

Das Demarkationsproblem in der Wissenschaftstheorie kann als die externnormative 

Frage (F) nachder Möglichkeit der Unterscheidung von Wissenschaft und 

Pseudowissenschaft verstanden werden.Die praktische Relevanz einer Antwort auf F, 

welche eine Demarkationstheorie einfordert, zeigt sichinsbesondere, wenn es um die 

Bewertung des wissenschaftlichen Status mutmaßlichpseudowissenschaftlicher Theorien 

geht, wie der Astrologie oder der Homöopathie.Im theoretischen Teil es Vortrages werde 

ich zunächst als Antwort auf F eine Abgrenzungstheorie(DT) formulieren, welche drei 

wesentliche Eigenschaften besitzt: 

1. »Wissenschaft« und Wissenschaftsantonyme werden darin als Prototypenbegriffe 

interpretiert,welche die Zuordnung einer Entität unter einen Begriff nicht immer durch 

die Angabe dererforderlichen Bedingungen zulassen. 

2. Die Bewertung des wissenschaftlichen Status einer mutmaßlich 

pseudowissenschaftlichen Theorie(Tkrit) wird als die Diagnose eines systematischen 

Defizits verstanden. 

3. DT ist das Instrument einer solchen Diagnose und basiert auf einem Zwei-Ebenen- 

Ansatz, welcher eine Vielzahl von wissenschaftsinternen (epistemischen und nichtepistemischen) 

Werten berücksichtigt, die entweder als theoriebezogene Kriterien an 

die rationale Rekonstruktion vonTkrit angelegt werden, oder als handlungsbezogene 

Kriterien (wissenschaftliche Tugenden) anindividuelles oder kollektives Verhalten der 

Vertreter von Tkrit.Im praktischen Teil werde ich dann den wissenschaftlichen Status der 

jüngsten Variante des modernenKreationismus, welcher unter dem Etikett des »Intelligent 

Design« firmiert, vor dem Hintergrund vonDT bewerten.

High school students’ attitudes 

towards evolutionary theory 

Among scientists, evolutionary theory is considered the unifying theory within biology. In 

contrast, there is a considerable proportion of the general public – especially in the USA 

– that does not accept evolutionary explanations to the origin and development of life. 

However, attitudes towards evolutionary theory have so far been investigated without 

foundation in psychological attitude research and the most commonly used instruments 

MATE and EAS arguably do not to meet the theoretical and psychometric standards of 

attitude research. Thus, our main goal is a multidimensional characterization of German 

high school students‘ attitudes based on the psychological multicomponent model 

of attitudes in order to analyse the degree of positive and negative attitudes towards 

evolutionary theory and the effects of putative influencing factors. For this purpose we 

developed and validated a closed-ended, multidimensional instrument (α = 0.89) that 

was used in a series of pilot studies (n = 842). The results reveal overall positive attitudes 

towards evolutionary theory and give insight to the effects of attitudes towards science 

and religion, understanding of evolution and the nature of science as well as ideas about 

the relationship between science and religion on attitudes towards evolutionary theory. 

Combined with an interdisciplinary approach bringing together biological and theological 

perspectives on teaching and learning about evolution and creation this information 

about influencing fators is one of the benefits of our approach that can be used to design 

non-indoctrinary teaching strategies for evolution education. 

In this project – funded by Friedrich Stiftung – we cooperate with the Institute for 

Protestant Religious Education at Vienna University. 

Christiane Konnemann 1 

R. Asshoff 1 

M. Hammann 1 

1 

Centre for Didactics of 

Biology , 


University, Münster 

ChristianeKonnemann@ 

uni-muenster.de 

27

Felipe Torres 1 

1 

Institute for Mathematic 

Statistics, 



ftorr_01@uni-muenster.de 

28 

Convergence of the optimal score and asymptotic 

proportion of gaps in random sequence comparison 

We study the mean optimal score, its fluctuations and the asymptotic proportion of 

gaps in optimal alignments of two i.i.d. sequences over a finite alphabet, under a scoring 

model depending on a gap parameter $\delta \in \mathbb{R}$. Specifically, we improve 

previous confidence intervals for the mean optimal score and propose new confidence 

intervals for the asymptotic proportion of gaps. Additionally, we confirm Waterman’s 

conjecture for the fluctuations of the optimal score in the present model, provided $\ 

delta$ is large enough and the scoring function satisfies a certain asymmetry condition. 

The results on the fluctuations are still work in progress. The new approach developed 

takes into account the structure of optimal alignments as well as their entropy fluctuations.

Conway’s Game of Life 

This is a popular example of a cellular automaton. One interacts with the Game of Life 

by creating an initial configuration and observing how it evolves, which makes it a socalled 

zero person game. It provides an example of emergence and self-organization. 

It is interesting for computer scientists, physicists, biologists, biochemists, economists, 

mathematicians, philosophers, generative scientists and others to observe the way that 

complex patterns can emerge from the implementation of very simple rules. 

Dennis Bohle 1 

1 

Institute for Mathematics, 

Westfälische Wilhelms-University, 

Münster 

dennis.bohle@ 


29

Dr. Christoph Preuss 

Westfälische-Wilhelms 

Universität 

Institute for Evolution and 

Biodiversity, 

Hüfferstraße 1, 


30 

Session 2: biology 

In the field of biology, evolution is often related to adaption to an ever changing 

environment. For example parasites evolve mechanisms to exploit their host, 

which leads to counter-adaptations by the host‘s immune system to reduce 

damage from the parasite. Plants have to evolve in order to cope with changing 

environmental conditions or in long terms with a changing climate. The cost 

of resource acquisition from the environment and the consequences of such 

environmental limitations had a strong impact on the molecular and genetic 

architecture of all living species. All different kinds of adaptation are based on 

changes in the genome of the species. 

Recent advances in sequencing technologies enabled us to decipher the genetic 

architecture of various traits related to the adaptation to new environments. 

Phylogenetic and taxonomic approaches helped to gain a deeper understanding 

of the evolution and the origin of species across the globe. Evolution provides 

a constant form of innovation and is a driving force in creating biodiversity 

influencing every aspect of life. 

The concepts and models used in modern evolutionary biology can be applied 

to cope with the challenges of a changing modern world where climate change, 

epidemics and other threats have an impact on our daily life. Understanding and 

making sense of the changes that have occurred over the past million years will 

help us not only to face these challenges, but also to deal with them.

Gerrit Hartig 1 

1 


Biodiversity, 



geha@uni-bonn.de 

32 

Development of a software tool for genome-wide 

phylogenetic analysis of TE insertions 

Phylogenetic inference from molecular sequence data suffers from systematic error such 

as diminishing signals due to substitution saturation (“multiple hits”) and relies heavily 

on simplified evolutionary models whose assumptions are often not fulfilled by real 

sequences. Rare genomic events like, e.g., changes in gene order or near-intron-positions 

(NIPs) are a promising alternative due to their much larger space of character states. For 

groups of organisms with shallower divergences like birds and mammals insertions of 

transposable elements (TEs) are especially well-suited rare genomic events. Until recently 

TE insertion characters could only be acquired for a restricted number of loci by targetamplification 

with PCR. With the rise of the genomic era it becomes now possible to mine 

these characters efficiently from genome project data in a high-throughput approach. 

This sort of analysis requires both, proficiency in a programming language as well as 

good knowledge of TE biology. In my PhD project I am developing a software suite that 

will empower researchers, who are equipped with nothing more than a burning interest 

in a certain phylogenetic question to carry out this analysis independently. In my talk 

I will use the interesting question of the phylogenetic affiliations of the tarsier (Tarsius 

syrichta) as an example to outline the steps that have to be implemented in such a 

software application.

Adaptive conflicts in protein evolution can be resolved 

by bi-stability and gene duplication 

Many organisms live under complex and changing environmental conditions, while 

having a limited number of proteins to deal with these conditions. Multi-functionality, 

as exhibited by many functionally promiscuous enzymes, has been hypothesised as an 

advantageous compromise whenever the same protein is under selection to conserve 

an existing function while adapting towards a new function (adaptive conflict). A stage 

of multi-functionality may or may not be followed by gene duplication and divergence. 

We use computational biophysical models to analyse multi-functionality of proteins 

that can fold into more than one stable structure (using structure formation as a 

proxy for functionality). Our model predicts that proteins evolving under selection for 

two alternative structures can follow gradients of stability shift from the formation of 

only one stable structure towards an equilibrium state between two stable structures 

(bi-stability). Population dynamics simulations show that weak conflicting selection 

pressures may be sufficient to direct protein evolution towards bi-stability. Our results 

also suggest that models of protein evolution may underestimate evolvability if they 

do not account for bi-stability. However, while bi-stable proteins provide many more 

mutational connections to other protein structure phenotypes in genotype space, they 

are also less stable. This shows the inherent conflict between conservation of structure 

(by maximising stability), and adaptation towards new structures (which requires some 

destabilisation). Bi-stable proteins may provide the necessary compromise. 

Tobias Sikosek 1 

1 





t.sikosek@ 


33

Tobias Sikosek 1 

34 

Furthermore, bi-stable proteins may provide an additional advantage after gene 

duplication, because they provide excellent starting points for subfunctionalisation 

(functional divergence driven by adaptation and/or genotype space entropy), as 

consistent with the recently proposed Escape from Adaptive Conflict model. The potential 

for increased evolvability due to bi-stable proteins is thus two-fold by allowing adaptation 

before and after gene duplication.

Transcriptomic resilience to global warming in the 

seagrass Zostera marina, a marine foundation key 

species 

RNA-seq offers the opportunity to perform global transcription profiling of a key 

ecological species, predicting ecologically relevant responses under global warming. 

The seagrass Zostera marina, occurring along a thermal cline, provides the unique 

opportunity to assess temperature effects on gene expression as a function of their 

long term adaptation to local temperature regimes. Here, natural populations from 

cold and warm adapted seagrass populations (Denmark, Italy) of Zostera marina were 

exposed to a realistic heat wave scenario in a common stress garden setup, capturing a 

two-point thermal reaction norm. Transcriptomic responses were obtained by RNA-seq 

of eight cDNA libraries, each comprising ~125 000 reads. The expression profiles were 

assessed subsequent to transcriptome de novo assembly and gene identification via 

orthologous plant genes. Expression profiles revealed similar acute stress responses of 

both populations, with a focus on heat shock proteins. Population differences, however, 

became apparent at immediate heat recovery, characterized by a convergence to 

control expression of the warm adapted populations, while profiles of cold adapted 

genotypes diverged further from controls as well as acute heat responses. This divergent 

expression was characterized by a diverse set of gene functions dominated by protein 

degradation and RNA transcription regulation. Results implicate that ecological 

experiments addressing gene expression differences of locally adapted populations may 

be misleading when only acute stress responses are considered. Moreover, we propose 

transcriptomic resilience, analogous to ecological resilience, as an important measure to 

predict thetolerance of individuals and hence, the fate of local populations in the face of 

global warming. 

Susanne Franssen 1 

1 





s.franssen@ 


35

Florian Wünnemann 1 

Tabea Höhmann 1 

1 


Biodiversity, 



f_wuen01@uni-muenster.de 

tabea.hoehmann 

@uni-muenster.de 

36 

Biogeochemistry meets molecular evolution via 

metagenomics: tracing nitrogen fluxes from ecosystems 

to genomes in microbial communities 

Recent advances have shown a direct impact of resource constraints from the environment 

on the evolution of genes and proteins, suggesting that the material costs of evolutionary 

change play a pivotal role in constraining the evolution of species in response to nutrient 

limitations in natural ecosystems [reviewed in 1]. For example, the nitrogen (N) content 

of molecular sequences has been established as a marker to trace connections between 

the genome and the eco-physiology of the organisms [2-4]. However, these results have 

primarily relied on few well established genetic model organisms, leaving the question for 

the relevance of adaptation to nutrient availability in natural environments only partially 

addressed. Recent advances in metagenomics allow to extend our understanding of 

the impact of the evolutionary history of nutrient limitation on molecular evolution in a 

biogeochemical framework, providing a major arena to directly quantify the allocation of 

nutrients from the abiotic habitat to genes and proteins in environmental samples. 

Here, we focus on environmental samples from temperate soils (agricultural and natural 

soils) and hot spring environments (Bison Pool, Yellowstone National Park). Both these 

two very different habitats represent ideal ecosystems to investigate the role of nitrogen 

availability in shaping evolutionary change in natural communities of microorganisms, 

owing to the availability of metagenomic data along a N availability gradient. Due to the 

use of fertilizers, N is dramatically more abundant in agricultural than in natural soils. In 

Bison Pool, the combination of very low N availability in the source waters and the high 

temperature (above 92°C) hindering N fixation, makes the hotter part of the pool a severely 

N limited environment to the microbial communities. As the temperature decreases 

along the flow of the water, N fixation becomes possible (at temperatures below 73°C), 

reducing the severity of N limitation in the colder spots. Analyzing metagenomic samples

along these N gradients, we have found that in bacterial communities the allocation of N 

in ribosomal proteins follows the environmental availability of N. 

These findings reinforce the relevance of the footprint of nutrient flows on the genetic 

material in natural communities, and point to the increasing need to link the perspectives 

of ecology and molecular evolution in the context of biogeochemistry. 

1. Elser JJ, Acquisti C, Kumar 

S. 2011. Stoichiogenomics: 

The evolutionary ecology of 

macromolecular elemental 

composition, TREE 

2. Acquisti C, Elser JJ, Kumar S 

2009 Ecological nitrogen limitation 

has shaped the composition of 

plant genomes. Mol. Biol. Evol. 

3. Acquisti C, Kumar S, Elser JJ 

2009 From elements to biological 

processes: signatures of nitrogen 

limitation in the elemental 

composition of the catabolic 

apparatus. Proc. R. Soc. London B 

4. Bragg JG, Wagner A 2009. 

Protein material costs: single 

atoms can make an evolutionary 

difference. Trends Genet. 25, 5-8 

37


Universität 

Institute for Geology and 

Paleontology, 

Corrensstraße 24 


38 

Session 3:geosciences 

Prof. Dr. Harald Strauss Addressing the co-evolution of Earth’s habitats, their respective environmental 

conditions and life on our planet through its 4.6 billion years history exhibits a 

strong linkage of geo- and biosciences. Two different approaches, ultimately 

connected to each other, are being pursued: the geochemical study of ancient 

rock successions, i.e. the natural inventories that have archived Earth’s evolution, 

and secondly, the study of present-day environments, i.e. natural laboratories that 

could represent modern analogues to ancient habitats. 

Generally, respective studies utilize the abundance and stable isotopic composition 

of key elements of life (such as carbon and sulfur) in order to constrain ancient 

environmental parameters (such as atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide or 

oceanic sulfate concentrations). Subsequently, this allows identifying microbially 

driven processes and potential temporal changes as a consequence of changing 

environmental constraints.

Denise Meister 1 

Harald Strauss 1 

1 


Paleontology, 



dmeis01@uni-muenster.de 

40 

Biogeochemical evolution dressed in black: an update 

The early Palaeoproterozoic marks an important time period in Earth history as a time of 

fundamental environmental changes like the accumulation of unprecedented amounts 

of autochthonous organic matter during the Shunga Event in the aftermath of the 

Lomagundi Jatuli Event some 2 billion years ago. Samples from three drill cores (covering 

two lithological profiles) through the Zaonega Formation (ZF), Onega Palaeobasin, NW 

Russia, were studied. The ZF comprises organic carbon-rich, rhythmically bedded, grey to 

black coloured sedimentary rocks deposited under low-energy, non-euxinic depositional 

conditions. The organic matter represents biological material, most likely of algal or 

bacterial nature [1]. Subsequently, the whole sequence underwent greenschist facies 

metamorphism during the Svecofennian Orogeny at 1.8 Ga, resulting in the mobilization 

and migration of hydrocarbons (termed as “Shungite”) [2]. Abundant different species 

of sulfides, mainly iron sulfides show a variety of mineral habits. Total carbon (TC), total 

sulfur (TS) and total inorganic carbon (TIC) contents have been measured on bulk rock 

samples. In the depth profiles, intervals exhibiting elevated contents of both TOC and TS 

are discernible, but no general correlation could be detected. A set of samples shows high 

TOC coincident with low TS values, which likely reflect migrated bitumen.Stable sulfur 

isotopes represent an important fingerprint in the rock record for tracing sulfur sources 

and prevailing reaction pathways. Available evidence points to more than one process of 

microbial sulfur cycling during and after deposition of the Shungite bearing rocks, based 

on highly variable δ34S values measured on pyrite (FeS2). The negative isotopic signals 

are typical for bacterially mediated sulfate reduction (BSR) [3].

Both depth profiles clearly show a general positive shift up-section, which can 

be interpreted as an environmental change towards a limited sulfate supply and 

subsequently, successively heavier δ34S signatures in the residue. Heavier δ34S values in 

the lower part of one drill core suggest a magmatic input of sulfur. 

δ34S values in conjunction with TOC or TIC contents show no clear correlation except 

for samples displaying the highest values for TOC, which show preferentially negative 

δ34S signals consistent with BSR. Very preliminary results in iron speciation support the 

assumption of sedimentation under euxinic marine conditions. 

The abundant sulfides and their different generations point to a complex (dia)genetic 

history. 

Project funding by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) is gratefully 

acknowledged. 

[1] Melezhik, V.A., Fallick, 

A.E, Filippov, M. M. Larsen, 

O. (1999a) Earth-Science 

Reviews 47: 1-40. 

[2] Melezhik, V.A., Fallick, 

A.E., Filippov, M.M., 

Lepland, A., Rychanchik, 

D.V., Deines, Y.E., 

Medvedev, P.V., Romashkin, 

A.E., Strauss, H. (2009). 

Terra Nova 21: 119–126. 

[3] Habicht, K.S., Canfield, 

D.E., Rethmeier, J. 

(1998). Geochimica et 

Cosmochimica Acta 62 

(15): 2585-2595 

41

Katharina Siedenberg 1 

Harald Strauss 1 

1 

Institute for Geology 

and Paleontology, 



42 

Stable isotopes revealing the origin of highly mineralized 

spring waters, Graubünden, Switzerland 

The region of Graubünden in the eastern Swiss Alps hosts highly mineralized, CO2-rich 

spring waters and the objective of this study was to determine how the interaction 

with rocks and microbially mediated processes are reflected in the water chemistry. A 

special focus results from the particularly high sulphate concentrations (90 – 1400 mg/L) 

in many spring waters. Two pathways are reasonable to explain these high sulphate 

concentrations: (1) the dissolution of evaporitic calcium sulphates (e.g. gypsum, anhydrite) 

by groundwater and (2) the reoxidation of iron sulphides (e.g., pyrite) that are also part 

of sedimentary rocks in the subsurface. In order to distinguish which of these pathways 

is the dominant one, stable sulphur and oxygen isotopes are applied. Dissolved sulphate 

resulting from the dissolution of evaporites inherits its isotopic signature from the former 

evaporites. However, modifications of the sulphate sulphur and sulphate oxygen isotopic 

compositions can arise from microbial sulphate reduction. The reoxidation of sulphide, on 

the contrary, is only associated with a minor change in the sulphur isotopic signal. Hence, 

the original isotopic signature is also transferred into the dissolved sulphate. In addition, 

high iron concentrations in some spring waters and white filamentous bacteria at the 

discharge of some springs clearly indicate the microbiological influence in these waters. 

In addition to stable isotopes, the concentrations of dissolved cations and anions and 

the regional geological context help to further constrain the origin of the dissolved 

constituents in the different spring waters. With respect to dissolved sulphate, the 

springs of Graubünden can be divided into three groups that are either dominated by 

the dissolution of evaporates, the reoxidation of sulphides, or a mixture of these two 

pathways.

Variable redox conditions of the ocean-atmosphere 

system and implications on biological activity during the 

deposition of the 2.3 Ga Timeball Hill Formation 

Rhenium and Molybdenum concentrations in shales and sulfur isotopes in disulfides 

provide new insights in the development of the ocean-atmosphere system during 

the deposition of the 2.3 Ga Timeball Hill Formation, South Africa. Relatively low 

enrichment factors (relative to average crustal abundances) of Mo between 0.1 and 2.4 

and high Re enrichment factors between 1.1 and 25.0 can be distinguished. Marginal 

concentrations of Mo correlate with the highest enrichments of Re, and appear to be 

coupled to strongly fractionated sulfur isotopic ratios. High Re concentrations over wide 

parts of the stratigraphy argue for a deposition under anoxic but, as indicated by low 

Mo concentrations, not for euxinic (i.e. oxygen-free but hydrogen sulfide abundant in 

the water column) deepwater conditions. Disulfide minerals from these stratigraphic 

levels show high sulfur isotopic fractionation, which suggests the establishment of an 

oceanic sulfate pool. The absence of large Mo and Re enrichments in the middle parts of 

Lower and Upper Timeball Hill shales indicate potentially oxic oceanic conditions. These 

samples indicate weakly fractionated sulfur isotopes which could indicate a low sulfate 

flux to the oceans. These observations lead to the conclusion that the water column 

was constantly non-euxinic at 2.3 Ga. The intensity of continental weathering and the 

subsequent delivery of nutrients to the oceans was variable and a consequence of the 

fluctuations of the atmospheric oxygen content. 

David Diekrup 1 

A. J. Kaufman 2 

B. Kendall 3 

1 


Paleonotology, Westfälische 

Wilhelms-University, Münster 

2 

Department of Geology and 

the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary 

Center, University 

of Maryland 

3 

School of Earth and Space 

Exploration, Arizona State 

daviddiekrup 


43

Gesellschaft für 

Arterioskleroseforschung 

e.V. 

Leibniz-Institut für 

Arterioskleroseforschung 

(LIFA) 

Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 

1, Domagkstr. 3, 48149 

Münster, Germany 

44 

Session 4:medicine 

Prof. Dr. Monika Stoll Evolutionary medicine is a growing discipline which applies evolutionary 

concepts to the understanding of (human) biology beyond the understanding of 

immediate pathways leading to disease, and represents a more holistic approach 

on how (patho)physiological phenotypes emerge. As humans now live in complex 

environments, which are different from those in which our ancestors evolved, the 

consequent mismatches can challenge our health to the evolutionary trade-offs 

that were made in the past to ensure reproduce reproductive success or fitness 

of an organism in a given environment. Nowadays, medicine and nutrition have 

improved and humans live much longer. However, our genetic makeup has not 

yet caught up to these environmental influences. Thus evolutionary, (epi)genetic 

changes which were protective for an individual’s health and fitness in the past, 

may now turn into risk factors for humans in a changing environment or (microbial) 

challenges. In the context of the MGSE, research in evolutionary medicine spans 

a broad range of health-relevant topics: from the study of evolutionary processes 

in microbial pathogens, i.e. enterohemorrhagic escherichia coli (EHEC) through 

behavioral sciences to principal questions relating to how natural variation and 

selection contributes to polygenic diseases. This year’s session on evolutionary 

medicine will provide you with some highlights on our research program, as well 

as some first results from our first graduate students enrolled in this program.

Mona Reimenschneider 1 

Monika Stoll 1 

Christoph Preuss 2 

1 

Leibniz-Institute for 

Arteriosclerosis Research, 

University of Münster 

2 


Biodiversity, Westfälische 

Wilhelms-University, Münster 

mona.riemenschneider 

@lifa-muenster.de 

46 

Coordinate evolution of co-expression networks among 

linked gene clusters 

Gene order along chromosomes is not random in eukaryotic genomes. Several studies 

have revealed that genes sharing similar expression patterns are functionally related and 

tend to form linked gene cluster. Structural, regulatory and functional factors might play 

a role in the formation of these linked gene clusters. 

Only little is known regarding the mechanisms of gene cluster formation and if natural 

selection had an impact in maintaining favorable allele combinations. 

We are interested in deciphering the possible consequences of gene cluster formation 

in regards to complex traits, such as diseases. Therefore, we performed evolutionary 

analysis across multiple vertebrate genomes in order to test whether co-regulated 

genes are wired de novo or whether disease related genes are co-opted into different 

regulatory networks along vertebrate evolution. Also the impact of recent adaptation in 

distinct human populations and patterns of recent selection within linked gene clusters 

is studied.

The effects of genotype and social experience during 

adolescence on aggressiveness and anxiety later in life: 

pathology, constraint or adaptation 

Across mammalian species, behavioral traits like anxiety and aggressiveness are means to 

optimally cope with environmental challenges. However, in their exaggerated forms both 

traits pose serious psychiatric problems to human societies. Levels of aggressiveness and 

anxiety can be shaped by genotype and experiences during development and recent 

findings suggest that, in particular the time of adolescence can be of importance. From 

a biomedical point of view, high levels of anxiety and aggressiveness are regarded as 

‘pathological’ (nonadaptive) consequences or constraints of adverse conditions. But from 

an evolutionary perspective these traits might be adaptive to the present environment 

and would be an effective epigenetic mechanism for repeated and rapid adaptations [1]. 

To elucidate (1) how levels of anxiety and aggressiveness are shaped by genotype and 

experience during adolescence and (2) whether the resulting traits adjust the individuals 

to the current environmental conditions, experiments are conducted with serotonintransporter 

(5-HTT) knockout mice, a well established model for the study of anxiety and 

aggression [2]. Male wildtype, heterozygous, and homozygous 5-HTT knockout mice, 

which are known to differ in inborn levels of anxiety and aggressiveness, are compared. 

During adolescence males of all three genotypes either experience an excellent social 

situation in which important resources are freely available (e.g., access to mating 

partner) or they will find themselves in an adverse situation (e.g., chronic subordination). 

In adulthood, aggressiveness and anxiety-related behaviour is assessed in a battery of 

tests. In addition, it will be studied whether individual differences in behavioural profiles 

are related to epigenetic modification of gene promoters in the central nervous system. 

Finally, match-mismatch experiments [3] will be conducted to find out whether males 

indeed cope better and have higher reproductive success under conditions comparable 

to those they have experienced during adolescence. 

Neele Meyer 1 

1 


Biodiversity, 

Westfälische Wilhelms-University, 

Münster 

[1) 

Sachser et al. 2011 Neurosci. 

Biobehav. Rev. 35:1518–1533 

[2] 

Canli and Lesch 2007 Nature 

Neurosci 10:1103-1109 

[3] 

Bateson et al. 2004 Nature 

430:419-421 

neele.meyer1@gmail. 

com 

47

Angela Noll 1 

1 


Biodiversity, 



a.noll@uni-muenster.de 

48 

Tailless Retropseudogenes in different 

Clades of Eukaryotes 

Tailless retropseudogenes are a mainly unexplored novel class of mammalian-specific 

pseudogenes, which are deduced prominently from highly expressed and polyadenylated 

RNAs such as transfer RNAs (tRNAs). The detection of short direct repeats (DRs) flanking 

these elements suggests that the generation and distribution occurs via a LINE1-dependent 

retrotransposition event within the genome. Another peculiarity consists in the absence of 

the expected poly(A)-tail (together with further bases) at the 3’ end of these new detected 

pseudogenes. Such truncated forms were called “tailless retropseudogenes”. However, the 

existence of newly detected 3’ truncated RNA and retroposed fragments, which are highly 

distributed within the genome of human, mouse, rat, and other mammalian species, is 

not well characterised since the time of their discovery, although they unambiguously 

represent a new mechanism of LINE-derived retrotransposition. This presentation will 

give a short overview about the knowledge of tailless retropseudogenes, new results and 

possible mechanisms of transfer.

Discovering the genetic background of pediatric stroke 

by genomewide association 

Genome wide association studies (GWAS) are the current method of choice to dissect 

the genetic basis of common complex diseases. Most complex diseases have a polygenic 

origin, with several modifier loci that contribute to disease risk, and manifest in late 

stages of life. From an evolutionary and geneticists perspective, the emergence of such 

diseases in early childhood is of special interest. We try to disentangle major and minor 

genetic factors that give rise to an early onset of stroke, and investigate the polygenic 

origin by means of systems biology analysis, putting genetic variation in a context of 

mutually dependent molecular mechanisms. 

Milan Hiersche 1 

Astrid Arning 1 

Monika Stoll 1 

Ulrike Nowak-Göttl 2 

1 

Leibniz-Institut for 

Arteriosclerosis Research, 



2 

Institute of Clinical 

Chemistry, University 

Hospital Schleswig-Holstein 

milan.hiersche 

@lifa-muenster.de 

49

otanIcal 

garden at the 

WWu, 

münster 

51

52 

the hIstory of the botanIcal garden 

the garden in the 19 th century 

In 1797 a chair of natural history is established (botany) at the medical department by the at that 

time quite young university of Münster. The general practitioner Franz Wernekinck (1764 – 1839) 

is appointed to hold that chair. For the fact that he has almost no access to teaching material 

and visual aids one searches for an adequate location for a Hortus botanicus. Here the baronial– 

episcopal residence garden lends itself to that purpose. The baron of Stein (Freiherr von Stein) 

who even is quite well-known beyond the country’s borders and who is the supreme government 

official and representative of Prussia in Westphalia, supports this project and therefore the 

establishment of a botanical garden is decreed in 1803. 

Many initiatives and conceptions for a new garden are based on it’s director, Prof. Wernekinck. 

Already in 1804 the first arboriums are set up. On from the beginning the garden is designed 

to be a garden for teaching and researching. However, as well in the beginning as during later 

periods financial problems keep occurring from time to time which partly have to be solved by 

a busy trade with plants which in return has an impact on the main tasks in the garden. The first 

existential crisis already arises in 1806 when Westphalia is occupied by French troops. The political 

rechanges after the Vienna congress in 1815 and the profound reorganisation of the university 

that has far-reaching consequences leads to a conceptional change of the botanical garden in 

which now it should be preferred to grow domestic plants. 

After Wernewinck there are relatively frequent changes concerning the holding of the chair of 

the botanical garden. Fortunately this circumstance is compensated by the gardener (who is 

comparable with the technical head today) Bernhard Revermann who adds continuity to the 

garden for more than 50 years – from 1817 to 1869. Due to him the botanical gardes releases it’s 

first seed-catalogue in 1827.

Furthermore Revermann is as well responsible for the whole place garden including the longexisting 

fishery in the palace moat as for the commercial tree nursary. During his period of time the 

orangery is set up in 1840 which today is a listed building. Prof. Dr. Theodor Nitschke (1834 – 1883) 

is the first botanist become director of the botanical garden. It is due to him that a new palm-tree 

house is set up in 1878. Nitschke is the first one to focus very much on public relations and by this 

he achieves among other things that the busy trade with plants is forced back. Meanwhile Hugo 

Heidenreich in 1871 (– 1911), who later becomes the Royal gardening inspector, has taken over 

the shortly staffed job of the gardener by Revermann jun. His main interest is the alpinum. The 

successor of Nitschke is Prof. Dr. Oskar Brefeld who assumes control over the botanical garden 

in 1884. He is able to set up earlier than planned a small lecture hall behind today’s bromeliads’ 

house in 1887/1888. Later this lecture hall is reconstructed to be the gardener’s accommodation 

and today it serves as a seminar room. During his incumbency the new building of the Institute of 

Botanics at the southern side of the garden is made. The spatial extent of the garden is not being 

impaired by this. 

1900 to 1980s 

Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Zopf succeeds Brefeld in 1899 as the director of the institute and of the botanical 

garden. After his early death in 1909 the most well-known botanist and rediscoverer of Mendel’s 

rules (together with Vries and von Tschermak-Seysenegg), Prof. Dr. Carl Erich Correns (1864 – 1933), 

takes over his direction in Münster. He intensively uses the botanical garden for his experiments 

on hybridisation. After five years in Münster he heads off to become the director of the Kaiser- 

Wilhelm-Institut in Berlin. 

53

54 

In 1913 he managed to make the gardener Georg Ludewig to work for the botanical garden, who 

had the position of the garden inspector and he remained in this position until the end of the 

2nd worldwar. His whole period of service was characterised by problems that came with the 

two worldwars and also with the time of inflation. However, in 1915 it comes to an exceptional 

fruitful collaboration for the further development and the rearrangement of the botanical garden 

between him and Prof. Dr. Friedhelm Wilhelm Benecke (1868 – 1946). These gainings are awarded 

by the university with the installation of their two head-reliefs on the in 1935 new built and still 

today existing tropical centre. Benecke and on from 1935 his successor Prof. Dr. Walter Mevius 

(1893 – 1975) already have to deal with plans for a new location for the botanical garden which are, 

however, not transferred into reality. 

While the destructions of the botanical garden caused by the 1st worldwar are more likely due 

to the shortage of money a complete destruction of the arboriums, of the roof of the orangery 

and of the whole infrastructure just like heating installations and irrigation, is caused at the end 

of the 2nd worldwar by the same as well as most serious devastations by direct impacts of the 

war in the garden area. The consequence of this is the loss of almost all plants that are in need of 

arboriums in order to grow. Due to the unselfish commitment in special of Ludewig some very 

precious plants like the cycadees can be prevented from destruction. After the end of the war 

courses are given in the palm-tree house and in the orangery after the Institute of Botany had been 

destroyed completely in 1944. 

By 1949 already 5 arboriums can be rebuilt and made accessible for the public. This rapid 

reconstruction and the further remediation of the botanical garden is closely linked with the names 

of Prof. Dr. Siegfried Strugger (1906 – 1961) and the head inspector of the garden Walter Stephan 

(working for the garden from 1947 – 1960).

For the first time ecological aspects are being regarded by the establishment of characteristical 

types of landscape like heath, moor and dune. Due to both of them is the fact that already in 1952 

the state of the botanical garden before the war is achieved again. Even the more than 200 years 

old orange trees have survived the war and carry a lot of fruits. 

Council Hans-Dieter Oberdieck (working for the garden from 1960 – 1988) is especially keen on the 

collection of succulents because of his south Africa experience. 

Since the setting up of a professorship for plant systematics at the Institute of Botany in 1974 

the following job holders are working on the development of the botanical garden beside the 

respective directors of the institute (director of the institute Prof. Dr. Erwin Latzko from 1977 – 

1989): Prof. Dr. Herbert Hurka (in Münster from 1974 – 1982) who rearranges the plant system and 

his successor Prof. Dr. Focke Albers (in Münster since 1984) who mainly contributes to the setting 

up of the farmer’s garden in 1984. 

1990s to 2003 

In 1988 Oberdieck is followed by the council Dipl. Land. Dipl. Geo. Herbert Voigt who becomes the 

technical executive. Because of the changing of the administrative structures of the university the 

following professors are made managerial directors of the Institute of Botany and the botanical 

garden in the following period of time: Prof. Dr. Paul Tudzynski, Prof. Dr. Engelbert Weis and Prof. 

Dr. Bernd Gerhardt. During this period of time new ecological main focusses that correspond to 

Voigts ideas are made by the setting up of a lime neglected grassland and of a lime moor, the 

construction of a stream course with a synthetic source and a wild grassland. The opening of the 

tactile and scent garden is made in 1993. 

55

56 

A newly built pavilion is erected as a visitor’s lounge. The „Fördererkreis Botanischer Garten der 

Universität Münster e.V.“ has mainly helped with the financing of the new outdoor areas. 

In order to attach a more constant leadership to the botanical garden, Prof. Dr. Focke Albers is 

made head of the botanical garden in 1994. In the following period of time some ecological areas 

(highmoor, heath and dune) are rearranged or furtheron completed. The already earlier begun 

conceptional changing of the arborium areas is completed by the establishment of expositional 

collections that are similar to biotopes, like Central America with it’s cacti, the Canary Islands 

and the winter humid areas of south Africa with it’s incredible diversity of species. Since 1996 

tropical useful plants are grown in the Victoria house for the visitor. The most profound changes 

are made in 1997 in the former palm-tree house which is remodeled by a new thematical focus 

into a tropical centre (focussing on tropes of the old world) and gives the impression to the visitor 

as if standing in a jungle. 

In 1998/1999 the outdoor area in front of the tropical gallery is metamorphed into a mediterranean 

oasis. Here in the frost free time of the year are grown bigger plants like orange-, olive- and 

pomegranate-trees, which remain in the orangery during the winter – integrated amongst 

lavender and grapevines. The most big restructuring measure in the outdoor area is following 

in 2001/2002 with the setting up of a new system of plants according to the newest scientific 

results on the history derivation of seed plants. By the bounteous donation of the pharmaceutical 

company Spitzner AG the attractiveness of the garden for students and visitors had been increased 

for another time by the new installation of an area with medicinal plants in 2005. 

By the support of the university’s administration, of the promotion group and further sponsors 

it had been made possible in the recent years to intensify the public relations and to introduce 

the botanical garden to Münster’s citizens and to those of the surrounding areas as an area of 

interaction with science. In the last years Mrs. Stud. Ass. Birgit von Winterfeld and Mrs. Dipl. Biol. 

Andrea Hein got themselves involved with this in special.

Currently Mr. Dipl. Lök. Joachim Röschenbleck is worling on this. 

The already achieved results concerning strategy, restructuring, execution and the care – and 

this can be followed throughout the last 200 years – are only to be achieved by a successful 

collaboration and the commitment of all garden workers. 

references 

•LATZKO, E. 1980. Geschichte der Botanik an der Universität Münster. In: Die Universität Münster, 

1780 - 1980. 463 - 466. Aschendorff, Münster. 

•REJEK, Ch. 1988. Aufbau und Bedeutung des systematischen Abteilungen in Botanischen Gärten 

unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Münsterschen Botanischen Gartens. Schriftl. Hausarbeit 

im Rahmen der Ersten Staatsprüfung für das Lehramt für die Sekundarstufe II im Fach Biologie 

(Arbeitsgruppe Prof. Albers). Münster. 

•WIERMANN, R. 2003. Der Botanische Garten der Universität Münster. 200 Jahre Geschichte. 

Landwirtschaftsverlag Münster. 

•Archiv - Botanischer Garten der WWU 

57

58 

map & contact 

Botanischer Garten 

Münster 

Schlossgarten 3 

D-48149 Münster 

Donation 

Fördererkreis Botanischer 

Garten der Universität 

Münster e.V. Bank: 

Sparkasse Münsterland 

Ost, Account number: 

135376234 

Bank code : 40050150 

botanischer.garten at unimuenster.de 

0049-251 83 2827 

geWächshäuser 

•Bromelienhaus - 11) Ananasgewächse aus Süd- und Mittelamerika 

• Großes Tropenhaus - 10) Pflanzen Afrikas und Asiens. Lehrpfad vom dichten Dschungel zu 

den Mangrovenküstenwäldern

• Kanarenflora - 1 5) Die einmalige Pflanzenwelt der Kanarischen Inseln, wie z.B. der Drachenbaum 

oder die Kanarenglockenblume 

• Kapflora - 14) Pflanzen der Winterregen- und Trockengebiete Südafrikas 

• Karnivorenhaus - 13) Fleischfressende Pflanzen der Tropen sowie der gemäßigten Klimazonen 

• Sukkulentenhaus - 16) Verschiedene Pflanzen und ihre Anpassung an die Klimabedingungen 

der trockenwarmen Zonen wie in Mexiko oder in den Anden 

• Viktoriahaus - 12) Tropische Nutzpflanzen aus den Subtropen und Tropen wie Kaffee, Ananas, 

Bananen und Papaya 

freiflächen 

• Alpinum - 8) Gebirgspflanzen, unterschieden nach Kalk- und Urgesteinsstandorten 

• Arboretum - 5) Einheimische und fremdländische Gehölze wie z.B. Sumpfzypressen, 

Mammutbaum und Ginko 

• Arzneipflanzengarten - 3) Aktuell verwendete ungiftige und giftige Heilpflanzen wie Kamille, 

Johanniskraut, Sägepalme und Fingerhut 

• Bauerngarten - 2) Alte Pflanzensorten; Gestaltung der Anlage, wie sie um 1900 üblich war 

• Farntal - 6) Sammlung von Freilandfarnen 

• Mittelmeerraum - 7) Naturnah gestaltete Kalkbereiche, u.a. mit immergrünen Eichen, Zistrosen 

sowie Oliven- und Granatapfelbäumen 

• Naturnah gestaltete Biotope - 1) Typische sowie seltene und gefährdete Pflanzen der Heiden, 

Moore, Trockenrasen und Wälder 

• Pflanzensystematik - 4) Systematische Anordnung der verschiedenen Samenpflanzen nach 

ihren abstammungsgeschichtlichen Beziehungen 

• Riech- und Tastgarten - 9) Botanik mit allen Sinnen erleben 

Opening hours 

Opened daily (Mon - Sun) 

Admission free 

Summer (31.03. - 7.10.): 

Open areas: 8:00 - 19:00 

Greenhouses: 8:00 - 16:45 

Winter (8.10. - 30.03.): 

Open areas und 

greenhouses: 8:00 - 16:00 

59

members of the 

mgse 

61

Coordinator 

Prof. Dr. Joachim Kurtz 

E-Mail : joachim.kurtz 


Tel. : +49 (251) 83-24661 


Biodiversity 

Hüfferstrasse 1 

D-48149 Münster 

62 

mgse- members 

From left to right: Joachim Kurtz (Coordinator), Angela Noll, Gerrit 

Hartig, Neele Meyer, Manuel Talarico, Mona Riemenschneider, 

Francesco Catania, Marion Soucaze, Christoph Preuss (Scientific 

Project Manager)

the mgse Junior Professor 

Francesco Catania 

The MGSE Graduate Students 

Mona Riemenschneider 

Angela Noll 

Marion Soucaze 

Manuel Talarico 

Gerrit Hartig 

Neele Meyer 

the mgse steering committee 

Erich Bornberg-Bauer 

Johannes Kerp 

Joachim Kurtz — Coordinator 

Monika Stoll 

63

64 

PrinciPal investigators and their research areas 

Acquisti, Jun. Prof. Claudia Molecular and genome evolution 

Alsmeyer, Prof. Gerold The ecology of rapid adaptations 

Bayertz, Prof. Kurt Philosophy of evolution and education research 

Bornberg-Bauer, Prof. Erich Molecular and genome evolution 

Brosius, Prof. Jürgen Molecular and genome evolution 

De Meaux, Prof. Juliette The evolutionary ecology of rapid adaptations 

Hammann, Prof. Marcus Philosophy of evolution and education reseacrh 

Kerp, Prof. Johannes Earth system evolution 

Kleine, Prof. Thorsten Earth system evolution 

Kurtz, Prof. Joachim The evolutionary ecology of rapid adaptations 

Löwe, Prof. Matthias The evolutionary ecology of rapid adaptations 

Ludwig, Prof. Stephan Towards evolutionary medicine 

Makalowski, Prof. Wojciech Molecular and genome evolution 

Mellmann, PD Alexander Towards evolutionary medicine 

Müller, Prof. Kai Deciphering the history of life 

Müller, Prof. Klaus Philosophy of evolution and education research 

Putnis, Prof. Andrew Earth system evolution 

Quante, Prof. Michael Philosophy of evolution and education research 

Sachser, Prof. Norbert Towards evolutionary medicine 

Scherer, Jun. Prof. Erik E. Earth system evolution 

Schmitz, Dr. Jürgen Deciphering the history of life

Schulze-Bahr, Prof. Eric Towards evolutionary medicine 

Stoll, Prof. Monika Towards evolutionary medicine 

Strauss, Prof. Harald Earth system evolution 

Strobach, Prof. Niko Philosophy of evolution and education research 

advisory board 

Martin Carrier Universität Bielefeld 

Andrew H. Knoll Harvard University 

Sudhir Kumar Arizona State University 

Randolph M. Nesse University of Michigan 

Michael Ruse Florida State University 

Jacqui Shykoff Université Paris-Sud 

scientific ProJect manager 

Christoph Preuss 

Management assistant 

Hanna Ruhmann 

65

addresses of 

presenters 

67

68 

addresses of 

Presenters 

Bohle, Dennis Mathematisches Institut Einsteinstrasse 62 , 48149 

Münster 

Christian, Alexander Institut für Philosophie Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 

Düsseldorf 

Diekrup, David Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie Corrensstraße 24, 48149 

Münster 

Franssen, Susanne IEB Hüfferstraße 1, 48149 

Münster 

Hartig, Gerrit IEB Hüfferstraße 1, 48149 

Münster 

Hiersche, Milan LIFA Domagkstraße3, 48149 

Münster 

Höhmann, Tabea IEB Hüfferstraße 1, 48149 

Münster 

Konnemann, Christiane Biodidaktik Schlossplatz 4, 48149 

Münster

Meister, Denise Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie Corrensstraße 24, 48149 

Münster 

Meyer, Neele IEB Hüfferstraße 1, 48149 

Münster 

Noll, Angela IEB Hüfferstraße 1, 48149 

Münster 

Riemenschneider, Mona IEB Hüfferstraße 1, 48149 

Münster 

Siedenberg, Katharina Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie Corrensstraße 24, 48149 

Münster 

Sikosek, Tobias IEB Hüfferstraße 1, 48149 

Münster 

Torres, Felipe Institut für Mathematische Statistik Einsteinstrasse 62, 48149 

Münster 

Wünnemann, Florian IEB Hüfferstraße 1, 48149 

Münster 

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2nd annual MGSE Symposium - Institute for Evolution and ...

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