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Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof

  • Director General / Chair "Special Zoology"

Raiffeisenhaus
Adenauerallee 127
53113 Bonn

Phone: +49 228 9122 200
E-Mail: b.misof@leibniz-lib.de

Press Inquiries

Alexandra Hostert, Press Officer LIB Bonn
a.hostert@leibniz-lib.de

Mareen Gerisch, Press Officer LIB Hamburg
m.gerisch@leibniz-lib.de

Profile

Prof Dr Bernhard Misof has been Director General of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change since 2021 and Professor of Special Zoology at the University of Bonn since 2020.

His research has focused on evolutionary biodiversity research with a particular emphasis on phylogenomic analyses, the evolution of arthropods and the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of complex groups of organisms. As Director General of the LIB, he is concerned with questions of museum development and transdisciplinary approaches. He is particularly interested in the interaction between the individual research and work areas of the LIB in order to create a socially relevant and effective institution.

After completing his studies and doctorate at the University of Vienna and his habilitation at the University of Bonn, Prof Misof held various international research and management positions, including research stays at Yale University and management positions in Bonn and Hamburg.

In addition to his scientific activities, Prof Misof is involved in numerous national and international scientific committees. Since the end of 2025, he has been the deputy spokesperson for Section C "Life Sciences" of the Leibniz Association.

Projects

Publications

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    2026

  • 2026/04

    Lim, W., Bang, W.J., Choi, J., Jung, S., Kim, S., Bayless, K.M., McKenna, D., Meusemann, K., Misof, B., Yeates, D.K., Trautwein, M., Wiegmann, B.M., Shin, S.

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    Phylogenomics illuminates the complex evolutionary history of Bibionomorpha (Diptera)

    Systematic Entomology, 2, 51

  • 2026/03

    Gabelaia, M., Tarkhnishvili, D., Adriaens, D., Ginal, P., Misof, B., Wipfler, B.

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    Climate-Correlated Phenotypes in Caucasian Rock Lizards (Squamata: Lacertidae)

    Herpetologica, 1, 82

  • 2026/02

    Postma, A., Klynsmith, L., Duong, T.A., Allison, J.D., Smidt, W., Waterhouse, R.M., Lesny, P., Oeyen, J.P., Petersen, M., Martin, S., Liu, S., Zhou, X., Ziesmann, T., Donath, A., Mayer, C., Misof, B., Niehuis, O., Peters, R.S., Podsiadlowski, L., Coetzee, M.P.A., Joubert, F., Slippers, B.

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    Genome and transcriptome‐based identification and expression profiling of chemosensory gene families across developmental stages and tissues in Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae)

    Insect Molecular Biology

  • 2025

  • 2025/11

    Lehmitz, R., Hohberg, K., Husemann, M., Peters, R.S., Scheunemann, N., Bálint, M., Balke, M., Bieberich, J., Bista, I., Borsch, T., Bourlat, S.J., Bussmann, R.W., Damm, U., Dey, L., Flocco, C.G., Grossart, H., Haase, P., Höfer, H., Krashevska, V., Krogmann, L., Lücking, R., Arbizu, P.M., Meier, R., Mengual, X., Mercado-Salas, N.F., Moore, J.M., Orr, M.C., Otte, V., Overmann, J., Pauls, S.U., Pereira, R.J., Peters, J., Potapov, A., Printzen, C., Raub, F., Raupach, M.J., Rduch, V., Retter, A., von Reumont, B.M., Rossel, S., Schmelz, R.M., Schmitt, T., Scholler, M., Stolle, E., Thines, M., Vasilita, C., Wesener, T., Zahiri, R., Zaitsev, A., Zimmermann, J., Żyła, D., Misof, B., Tockner, K.

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    Unknown Germany - An integrative biodiversity discovery program

    npj Biodiversity, 1, 4

  • 2025/02

    Huang, Y., Escalona, H.E., Sun, Y., Zhang, P., Du, X., Gong, S., Tang, X., Liang, Y., Yang, D., Chen, P., Yang, H., Chen, M., Hüttel, B., Hlinka, O., Wang, X., Meusemann, K., Ślipiński, A., Zwick, A., Waterhouse, R.M., Misof, B., Niehuis, O., Li, H., Pang, H.

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    Molecular evolution of dietary shifts in ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae): from fungivory to carnivory and herbivory

    BMC Biology, 1, 23

  • 2025/01

    Mozer, A., Di‐Nizo, C.B., Consul, A., Huettel, B., Jäger, R., Akintayo, A., Erhardt, C., Fenner, L., Fischer, D., Forat, S., Gimnich, F., Grobe, P., Martin, S., Nathan, V., Saeed, A., von der Mark, L., Woehle, C., Olek, K., Misof, B., Astrin, J.J.

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    FOGS: A SNPSTR Marker Database to Combat Wildlife Trafficking and a Cell Culture Bank for Ex‐Situ Conservation

    Molecular Ecology resources

  • 2024

  • 2024/07

    Wellenbeck, A., Fehrmann, L., Feilhauer, H., Schmidtlein, S., Misof, B., Hein, N.

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    Discriminating woody species assemblages from National Forest Inventory data based on phylogeny in Georgia

    Ecology and Evolution, 7, 14

  • 2024/07

    Frandsen, P.B., Holzenthal, R.W., Espeland, M., Breinholt, J., Thomas Thorpe, J.A., Simon, S., Kawahara, A.Y., Plotkin, D., Hotaling, S., Li, Y., Nelson, C.R., Niehuis, O., Mayer, C., Podsiadlowski, L., Donath, A., Misof, B., Moriarty Lemmon, E., Lemmon, A., Morse, J.C., Liu, S., Pauls, S.U., Zhou, X.

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    Phylogenomics recovers multiple origins of portable case making in caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera), nature’s underwater architects

    Proceedings - Royal Society. Biological sciences/Proceedings - Royal Society. Biological Sciences, 2026, 291

  • 2024/06

    Mozer, A., Consul, A., Misof, B., Jäger, R., Olek, K., Astrin, J.J.

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    Joint detection of microsatellites and flanking sequences–SNPSTR markers for Athene noctua to fight illegal wildlife trade

    Forensic Science International Animals and Environments, 5

  • 2024/02

    Hein, N., Astrin, J.J., Beckers, N., Giebner, H., Langen, K., Löffler, J., Misof, B., Fonseca, V.G.

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    Arthropod diversity in the alpine tundra using metabarcoding: Spatial and temporal differences in alpha‐ and beta‐diversity

    Ecology and Evolution, 2, 14

  • 2023

  • 2023/12

    Giesen, A., Blanckenhorn, W.U., Schäfer, M.A., Shimizu, K.K., Shimizu-Inatsugi, R., Misof, B., Podsiadlowski, L., Niehuis, O., Lischer, H.E.L., Aeschbacher, S., Kapun, M.

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    Geographic Variation in Genomic Signals of Admixture Between Two Closely Related European Sepsid Fly Species

    Evolutionary Biology, 4, 50

  • 2023/12

    Dietz, L., Mayer, C., Stolle, E., Eberle, J., Misof, B., Podsiadłowski, L., Niehuis, O., Ahrens, D.

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    Metazoa‐level USCOs as markers in species delimitation and classification

    Molecular Ecology resources, 3, 24

  • 2023/11

    Misof, B., Tockner, K., Trischler, H.

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    Die Bibliothek des biologischen, technischen und kulturellen Wissens – Warum brauchen wir eine integrierte Sammlungsinfrastruktur?

    BIBLIOTHEK Forschung und Praxis, 3, 47

  • 2023/10

    Spanke, T., Gabelaia, M., Flury, J.M., Hilgers, L., Wantania, L.L., Misof, B., Wipfler‍, B., Wowor, D., Mokodongan, D.F., Herder, F., Schwarzer, J.

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    A landmark‐free analysis of the pelvic girdle in Sulawesi ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae): How 2D and 3D geometric morphometrics can complement each other in the analysis of a complex structure

    Ecology and Evolution, 10, 13

  • 2023/02

    Dietz, L., Eberle, J., Mayer, C., Kukowka, S., Bohacz, C., Baur, H., Espeland, M., Huber, B.A., Hutter, C.R., Mengual, X., Peters, R.S., Vences, M., Wesener‍, T., Willmott, K.R., Misof, B., Niehuis, O., Ahrens, D.

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    Standardized nuclear markers improve and homogenize species delimitation in Metazoa

    Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2, 14

  • 2021

  • 2021/12

    Spanke, T., Hilgers, L., Wipfler, B., Flury, J.M., Nolte, A.W., Utama, I.V., Misof, B., Herder, F., Schwarzer, J.

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    Complex sexually dimorphic traits shape the parallel evolution of a novel reproductive strategy in Sulawesi ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae)

    BMC ecology and evolution, 21

  • 2020

  • 2020/11

    Song, H., Béthoux, O., Shin, S., Donath, A., Letsch, H., Liu, S., McKenna, D.D., Meng, G., Misof, B., Podsiadlowski, L., Zhou, X., Wipfler, B., Simon, S.

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    Author Correction: Phylogenomic analysis sheds light on the evolutionary pathways towards acoustic communication in Orthoptera

    Nature communications, 1, 11

  • 2020/11

    Meusemann, K., Trautwein, M., Friedrich, F., Beutel, R.G., Wiegmann, B.M., Donath, A., Podsiadlowski, L., Petersen, M., Niehuis, O., Mayer, C., Bayless, K.M., Shin, S., Liu, S., Hlinka, O., Minh, B.Q., Kozlov, A., Morel, B., Peters, R.S., Bartel, D., Grove, S., Zhou, X., Misof, B., Yeates, D.K.

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    Are fleas highly modified Mecoptera? Phylogenomic resolution of Antliophora (Insecta: Holometabola)

  • 2020/10

    Vasilikopoulos, A., Misof, B., Meusemann, K., Lieberz, D., Flouri, T., Beutel, R.G., Niehuis, O., Wappler, T., Rust, J., Peters, R.S., Donath, A., Podsiadlowski, L., Mayer, C., Bartel, D., Böhm, A., Liu, S., Kapli, P., Greve, C., Jepson, J.E., Liu, X., Zhou, X., Aspöck, H., Aspöck, U.

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    Correction to: An integrative phylogenomic approach to elucidate the evolutionary history and divergence times of Neuropterida (Insecta: Holometabola)

    BMC evolutionary biology, 1, 20

  • 2020/07

    Kohli, M., Letsch, H., Greve, C., Béthoux, O., Deregnaucourt, I., Liu, S., Zhou, X., Donath, A., Mayer, C., Podsiadlowski, L., Machida, R., Niehuis, O., Rust, J., Wappler, T., Yu, X., Misof, B., Ware, J.

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    How old are dragonflies and damselflies? Odonata (Insecta) transcriptomics resolve familial relationships

  • 2020/01

    Wipfler, B., Koehler, W., Frandsen, P.B., Donath, A., Liu, S., Machida, R., Misof, B., Peters, R.S., Shimizu, S., Zhou, X., Simon, S.

    Show more...

    Phylogenomics changes our understanding about earwig evolution

    Systematic entomology, 3, 45

  • 2018

  • 2018/00

    Thomas, G.W., Dohmen, E., Hughes, D.S., Murali, S.C., Poelchau, M., Glastad, K., Anstead, C.A., Ayoub, N.A., Batterham, P., Bellair, M., Binford, G.J., Chao, H., Chen, Y.H., Childers, C., Dinh, H., Doddapaneni, H., Duan, J.J., Dugan, S., Esposito, L.A., Friedrich, M., Garb, J., Gasser, R.B., Goodisman, M.A., Gundersen-Rindal, D.E., Han, Y., Handler, A.M., Hatakeyama, M., Hering, L., Hunter, W.B., Ioannidis, P., Jayaseelan, J.C., Kalra, D., Khila, A., Korhonen, P.K., Lee, C.E., Lee, S.L., Li, Y., Lindsey, A.R., Mayer, G., McGregor, A.P., McKenna, D.D., Misof, B., Munidasa, M., Munoz-Torres, M., Muzny, D.M., Niehuis, O., Osuji-Lacy, N., Palli, S.R., Panfilio, K.A., Pechmann, M., Perry, T., Peters, R.S., Poynton, H.C., Prpic, N., Qu, J., Rotenberg, D., Schal, C., Schoville, S.D., Scully, E.D., Skinner, E., Sloan, D.B., Stouthamer, R., Strand, M.R., Szucsich, N.U., Wijeratne, A., Young, N.D., Zattara, E.E., Benoit, J.B., Zdobnov, E.M., Pfrender, M.E., Hackett, K.J., Werren, J.H., Worley, K.C., Gibbs, R.A., Chipman, A.D., Waterhouse, R.M., Bornberg-Bauer, E., Hahn, M.W., Richards, S.

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    The genomic basis of arthropod diversity

  • 2017

  • 2017/01

    Gunkel, S., Rust, J., Wappler, T., Mayer, C., Niehuis, O., Misof, B.

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    A posteriori evaluation of molecular divergence dates using empirical estimates of time-heterogeneous fossilization rates

    bioRxiv

  • 2012

  • 2012/11

    Kück, P., Greve, C., Misof, B., Gimnich, F.

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    Automated Masking of AFLP Markers Improves Reliability of Phylogenetic Analyses

    PloS one, 11, 7

  • 2012/06

    Hartig, G., Peters, R.S., Borner, J., Etzbauer, C., Misof, B., Niehuis, O.

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    Oligonucleotide primers for targeted amplification of single-copy nuclear genes in apocritan Hymenoptera

    PloS one, 6, 7

  • 2012/02

    Reumont, B.M.V., Struwe, J., Schwarzer, J., Misof, B.

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    Phylogeography of the burnet moth Zygaena transalpina complex: molecular and morphometric differentiation suggests glacial refugia in Southern France, Western …

    Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 1, 50

  • 2008

  • 2008/09

    Schwarzer, J., Herder, F., Misof, B., Hadiaty, R.K., Schliewen, U.K.

    Show more...

    Gene flow at the margin of Lake Matano’s adaptive sailfin silverside radiation: Telmatherinidae of River Petea in Sulawesi

    Hydrobiologia, 205

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