Face of the LIB: Ulrich Kotthoff

What led you to geology and palaeontology? Was there a key experience?

My path led me first and foremost to palaeontology. I had various ideas, but even as a child I was fascinated by the distant past: You learn a lot about your own biological roots, but also how the whole world came to be. There was no real key experience, but I remember that a visit to the Munich Natural History Museum made a strong impression on me. I've had a keen interest in science - especially dinosaurs, of course - since I was a child.

So you have found your dream job?

Basically, yes: a job as a palaeontologist, where I can also do a lot in the field of knowledge transfer, has always been my professional goal. I have the opportunity to do research, teach and can pass on our expertise directly to visitors through the museums and public relations projects. In that sense, I have fulfilled my professional dream.

What is your favourite aspect of your day-to-day work?

The transfer of knowledge in various forms is very important to me. In lectures, talks or by designing showcases or videos, we are always coming up with new ways to bring the complex interrelationships of the Earth and its history to the public. I think we succeeded particularly well with the last exhibition "Eocene - At the beginning of our world" at the Hamburg Zoological Museum. Together with the exhibition design and education and communication teams, we were able to put together a very diverse programme.

Where does this proximity to knowledge transfer come from?

I would actually have liked to have become a journalist. I used to make radio programmes as a hobby and enjoy producing films and radio plays in my private life. I like working with media and, above all, with people. Without specialising in any particular area here, I like to combine my field of research with easily accessible content.

What does nature mean to you personally?

Sometimes all it takes is a step outside the door to make an exciting discovery: I discover a bee on a bush in a park and can watch it for minutes. I also think quarries are great, as I often find fossils and today's rare animal and plant species in one place. At the same time, abandoned quarries illustrate that humans can also have a positive impact on diversity in an area.

Crabs, fish, butterflies: Who has their own personal affection and why?

I find insects, especially hymenoptera, very fascinating as a field of research. What I like about termites is the way their colonies are socially organised: Instead of killing each other at regular intervals, each member of the colony has the chance to rise in the hierarchy and even become king or queen. Personally, however, I find the family of marten-like animals - martens, otters or wolverines - more appealing.

How do you explain the term biodiversity to children?

The word "biodiversity" actually fits quite well - I think the term is also understood quite quickly. But the most important thing is to explain why a decline in biodiversity is detrimental to us and to life as a whole. One important keyword is the stability of ecosystems - you can also quickly explain to children that it's not just the number of species that matters, but the number of individuals, and that the disappearance of one species can be followed by others. I also find it important to incorporate the morphological diversity of forms: If there are a hundred species of a genus, then a loss of diversity at the species level may not be so bad if the hundred species have similar lifestyles and all pollinate the same plant, for example. However, if a certain pollinator physique is lost, other species could quickly become extinct as a result.

What will people associate with the LIB in ten years' time?

I hope that we will be a generally recognised and well-known institutional authority on biodiversity development and that we will be associated with two great museums - one in Bonn and one in Hamburg.

What is the biggest challenge for you in the field of environmental protection?

That there are so many problems that need to be tackled simultaneously - anthropogenic climate change, the separation and destruction of ecosystems, the introduction of toxins and other harmful substances into the environment, to name just three aspects. The most difficult thing is probably to keep track of all the challenges and to concentrate on the "right" measures and categorise them correctly.

What would you have become if geology or palaeontology hadn't worked out?

I think I would have returned to the same topics in other ways - as a science journalist or book author, for example. I think the great art is to be able to break down topics without losing sight of the big picture. But I also enjoy developing fictional stories. Music was and is also an important aspect for me: as a double bass player, for example, I was active in orchestras and played jazz in various bands. I was also able to take part in smaller projects in Hamburg. From time to time, stories and music also flow into my public relations work.

What advice would you give to young geoscientists at the start of their careers?

You should listen to yourself and see whether you are really passionate about the subject matter. You should also have a plan for how you can then put things into practice. A bit of luck can't hurt either. I would advise young colleagues in our field in particular: Work together with geoscientists and/or bioscientists and climate scientists, be open to new methods and specialise in one area, but without losing sight of interrelationships and the big picture.

Which area at the LIB is particularly close to your heart?

Of course the future of the Geological-Palaeontological Museum in Hamburg, for which I am responsible. I am particularly looking forward to the upcoming new natural history museum in Hamburg, as we will have the opportunity here to not only trace the evolution of the last hundred years, but also - thanks to geology and palaeontology - the long-term effects. With regard to both research and the permanent exhibitions at the LIB's museums, I am optimistic that we will be able to work together even more closely across departments.

Which topic would be particularly exciting for museum visitors?

Climate change and changes in the abiotic earth are closely linked to evolution. This is an aspect that should be clearly emphasised in the exhibitions. What I also find important is that you can't reconstruct the past only from what is there today, but must realise that entire groups of plants and animals are no longer there today, even though they played a major role in the functioning of ecosystems at one time in the past.

I would also be very much in favour of incorporating the topic of anthropology into the new museum. We humans all go back to one origin. We should raise awareness of this in order to counteract the unequal treatment of people and racism in particular.

What impact does your research have on society?

I see again and again that the palaeoclimatological research projects in which I was and am involved attract a great deal of interest. Among other things, we are trying to find answers to the questions of the extent to which the climate has influenced human development or what insights we can gain from past climate fluctuations for the future?

DR. ULRICH KOTTHOFF is head of the palaeontological collections and the Geological-Palaeontological Museum at the LIB site in Hamburg. He studied geology and palaeontology in Tübingen until 2003, before completing his doctorate in geosciences in Frankfurt on ecosystem and climate change in the Mediterranean region. From 2008 until the founding of the LIB in 2021, he worked at the University of Hamburg and continues to teach there as a lecturer.