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I present You a list of my publications
and my ongoing projects







Dr. Tanja Schulz-Mirbach
Department of Biology II
Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich
Großhaderner Strasse 2
D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried
Phone: +49 (0)89 2180 6575
email: Tanja


Personal details
Date of Birth: 04.06.1979
Citizenship: German
 
Education
November 2003 – June 2008: Ph.D., Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology & Geobiology, Munich
 
May 2002 – January 2003: Diploma in Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich
 
November 1998 – June 2003: Studies of Biological Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich
 
Academic positions
January 2014 – present:Head of 'Studienbüro Lehre@LMU', Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Munich
Guest researcher, Department Biology II, Munich
August 2013 – December 2013:Postdoctoral research associate, Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich
 
August 2011 – July 2013:Postdoctoral research associate, Department of Behavioural Biology, Vienna
 
November 2008 – July 2011:Postdoc, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology & Geobiology, Munich
 
October 2007 – July 2008: Research assistant, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
 
Teaching experience
  • April 2014 - December 2015: 4x Scientific Working (Workshop Lehre@LMU), LMU Munich
 
  • October 2011 - February 2012: Bioacustics Project Course (Tutorial), University of Vienna
 
  • Special methods in paleobiology: osteology of fishes (Lecture & Tutorial together with Prof. Dr. B. Reichenbacher)
 
  •  Methods in Palaeontology (Lecture, together with PD Dr. C. Mayr)
 
  •  Palaeontology I (Tutorial, together with Prof. Dr. B. Reichenbacher and Prof. Dr. M. Amler)
 
  •  Palaeontology II (Tutorial)
 
  •  Introduction to statistics in palaeontology (Crash course)
 
  •  Statistical Analyses in Earth Sciences (Lecture, together with Prof. Dr. A. Altenbach)
 
Research interests
My present research focuses on aspects of functional morphology in teleost fishes with regard to the structure-function relationships of otoliths, inner ears, accessory auditory structures and hearing abilities. I am mainly interested in the questions of whether adaptations to extreme environmental conditions affect otolith structure and if hearing specializations are traceable in otolith morphology.
Further research topics:
  •  Effects of hybridization on otolith morphology.
 
  •  Effects of extreme environments on otolith morphology.
 
  •  Studies on the taxonomic value of otoliths with applications to the fossil record.
 
 
 
Current projects
  •  Visualization of otolith motion in-situ using Synchrotron-based X-rays at the ESRF (Grenoble; project LS-2539).

  •  Advanced modeling of complex otolith motion in the fish inner ear in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Petr Krysl (University of California, San Diego, CA) funded by BaCaTec.

  •  Structure-function relationship of inner ear and swim bladder morphology and hearing abilities in Asian and African cichlids (Perciformes, Cichlidae).

  •  Otolith microstructure of cave- and surface-dwelling ecotypes of Poecilia mexicana.
 
Organisms under study
  •  Cichlids.

  •  Cyprinodontiform taxa: Poeciliidae, Cyprinodontidae.

  •  Fossil and extant cyprinids.
 
Grants
  •  Postdoctoral fellowship, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) (2011-2013)

  •  Postdoctoral fellowship, ‘Bayerische Gleichstellungsförderung’ (2009-2010)
 
  •  Postdoctoral fellowship, University of Bavaria e. V. (2008-2009)
 
  •  ‘Hochschulwissenschafts-Programm’, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich (2006-2007)
 
  •  German Academic Exchange Service, field trip to Southwest Anatolia (Turkey) (May 2004)
 
  •  ‘Graduiertenförderung’, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich (2003-2006)
 
Book-Contributions
 
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Ladich, F. 2016. Diversity of inner ears in fishes: Possible contribution towards hearing improvements and evolutionary considerations. In: Fish Hearing and Bioacoustics - An Anthology in Honour of Arthur N Popper and Richard R Fay. Edited by Sisneros, J.A. New York: Springer, 341-391.
 
Publications (peer reviewed)
2016
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Eifert, C., Riesch, R., Famworth, M.S., Zimmer, C., Bierbach, D., Klaus, S., Tobler, M., Streit, B., Indy, J.R., Arias-Rodriguez, L. & Plath, M 2016. Toxic hydrogen shapes brain anatomy: a comparative study of sulphide-adapted ecotypes in the Poecilia mexicana complex. Journal of Zoology 300: 163-176.
Ladich, F. & Schulz-Mirbach, T. 2016: Diversity in Fish Auditory Systems: One of the Riddles of Sensory Biology. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 4:28.
2015
Eifert, C., Famworth, M., Schulz-Mirbach, T., Riesch, R., Bierbach, D., Klaus, S., Wurster, A., Tobler, M., Streit, B., Indy, J.R., Arias-Rodriguez, L. & Plath, M. 2015. Brain size variation in extremophile fish: local adaptation vs. phenotypic plasticity. Journal of Zoology 295(2):143-153.
2014
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Ladich, F., Plath, M., Metscher, B.D. & Heß, M. 2014. Are accessory hearing structures linked to inner ear morphology? Insights from 3D orientation patterns of ciliary bundles in three cichlid species. Frontiers in Zoology 11:25.
2013
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Heß, M. & Metscher B.D. 2013. Sensory epithelia of the fish inner ear in 3D: studied with high-resolution contrast enhanced microCT. Frontiers in Zoology 10:63.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Heß, M., Metscher, B.D. & Ladich, F. 2013. A unique swim bladder-inner ear connection in a teleost fish revealed by a combined high-resolution microCT and 3D histological study. BMC Biology 11:75.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Götz, A., Griesshaber, E., Plath, M. & Schmahl, W.W. 2013. Texture and nano-scale internal microstructure of otoliths in the Atlantic molly, Poecilia mexicana: A high-resolution EBSD study. Micron 51, 60-69.
Ladich, F. & Schulz-Mirbach, T. 2013. Hearing in Cichlid Fishes under Noise Conditions. PLoS ONE 8(2), e57588.
Gholami, Z., Teimori, A., Esmaeili, H.R., Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2013. Scale surface microstructure and scale size indices reflect intra- and interspecific variability in three endemic species of Aphanius (Cyprinodontidae, Teleostei) from Iran. Zootaxa 3619(4), 467-490.
 
2012
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Plath, M. 2012. All good things come in threes — species delimitation through shape analysis of saccular, lagenar and utricular otoliths. Marine and Freshwater Research 63(10), 934-940.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Metscher, B.D. & Ladich, F. 2012. Relationship between swim bladder morphology and hearing abilities. – A case study on Asian and African. PLoS ONE 7(8), e42292.
Teimori, A., Schulz-Mirbach, T., Esmaeili, H.R. & Reichenbacher, B. 2012. Geographic differentiation of morphological traits of fish and otolith: A case study of Aphanius dispar populations (Teleostei: Cyprinodontidae) from Southern Iran. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 50(4), 289-304.
 
2011
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Heß, M. & Plath, M. 2011. Inner ear morphology in the Atlantic Molly, Poecilia mexicana – First detailed microanatomical study of the inner ear of a cyprinodontiform species. PLoS ONE 6(11): e27734. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027734.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Riesch, R., García de León, F.J. & Plath, M. 2011. Effects of extreme habitat conditions on otolith morphology – a case study on extremophile livebearing fishes (Poecilia mexicana, P. sulphuraria). Zoology 114: 321-334.
 
2010
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Ladich, F., Riesch, R. & Plath, M. 2010. Otolith morphology and hearing abilities in cave- and surface-dwelling ecotypes of the Atlantic molly, Poecilia mexicana (Teleostei: Poeciliidae). Hearing Research DOI:10.1016/j.heares.2010.04.001 (in press).
Schneider, S., Fürsich F.T., Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Werner, W. 2010. Ecophenotypic plasticity versus evolutionary trends – Morphological variability in Upper Jurassic bivalve shells from Portugal. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica DOI: 10.4202/app.2009.0062 (in press).
 
2009
Tobler, M., Riesch, R., Tobler, C., Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Plath, M. 2009. Natural and sexual selection against immigrants maintains population differentiation. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22: 2298-2304.
Riesch, R., Duwe, V., Herrmann, N., Padur, L., Ramm, A., Scharnweber, K., Schulte, M., Schulz-Mirbach, T., Ziege, M. & Plath, M. 2009. Variation along the shy – bold continuum in extremophile fishes (Poecilia mexicana, Poecilia sulphuraria). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 63: 1515-1526.
Reichenbacher, B., Feulner, G. & Schulz-Mirbach, T. 2009. Geographic variation in otolith morphology among freshwater populations of Aphanius dispar (Teleostei, Cyprinodontiformes) from the southeastern Arabian Peninsula. Journal of Morphology, 270: 469-484.
 
2008
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2008. Fossil Aphanius (Teleostei, Cyprinodontiformes) from southwestern Anatolia (Turkey): A contribution to the evolutionary history of a hotspot of freshwater biodiversity. Geodiversitas, 30(3): 5‑20.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Scherb, H. & Reichenbacher, B. 2008. Are hybridization and polyploidization phenomena detectable in the fossil record? – A case study on otoliths of a natural hybrid, Poecilia formosa (Teleostei: Poeciliidae). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen, 249(2): 223-238.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Stransky, C., Schlickeisen, J. & Reichenbacher, B. 2008. Differences in otolith morphologies between surface- and cave-dwelling populations of Poecilia mexicana (Teleostei, Poeciliidae) reflect adaptations to life in an extreme habitat. Evolutionary Ecology Research, 10: 537-558.
 
2007
Jost, J., Kälin, D., Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2007. Late Early Miocene lake deposits near Mauensee, central Switzerland: fish fauna (otoliths, teeth), accompanying biota and palaeoecology. Eclogae Geologicae Helveticae, 99: 309‑326.
 
2006
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2006. Reconstruction of Oligocene and Neogene freshwater fish faunas – an actualistic study on cypriniform otoliths. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 51(2): 283-304.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Reichenbacher, B., Yildirim, M.Z. & Atalay, M.A. 2006. Otolith characteristics of species, subspecies, and populations of Aphanius Nardo, 1827 (Teleostei, Cyprinodontiformes) from Anatolia (Turkey). Journal of Natural History, 40(27-28): 1687-1705.
 
 
Abstracts and not peer reviewed articles
2015
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Ladich, F., Plath, M. & Heß, M. 2015. Does improved hearing result in altered inner ear morphology? Frontiers in Marine Sciences, Conference Abstract: XV European Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, September 2015, doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2015.03.00020.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Ladich, F., Plath, M. & Heß, M. (2015): The role of otolith size in hearing – Insights from cichlid fishes. Frontiers in Marine Sciences, Conference Abstract: XV European Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, September 2015, doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2015.03.00034.
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Ladich, F. (2015): Diversity in swim bladder morphology affects hearing in cichlid fishes. XXV Meeting of the International Bioacoustics Council, Murnau, Germany, September 2015, 139.
2014
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Ladich, F., Plath, M. & Heß, M. 2014. What do we know about otolith function in hearing? – Insights from cichlids and livebearing fish. 5th International Otolith Symposium, Peguera, Mallorca, Spain, October 2009, 95-96.
Huemer, K., Kolmhofer, P., Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Hild, S. (2014): Determination of aragonite-orientations within earstones of the extremophile fish Poecilia mexicana by Raman spectroscopy. XXIV International Conference on Raman Spectroscopy, Jena, Germany, August 2014.
2013
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Metscher, B.D., Heß, M. & Ladich, F. 2013. Do swim bladder specializations in cichlids correlate with modified inner ear morphology? 50 Years of Underwater Bioacoustics, Sarasota, FL, U.S.A, May 2013.
2012
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Metscher, B. & Ladich, F. 2012. How does swim bladder morphology affect hearing abilities? A case study on Asian and African cichlids. 14th European Congress of Ichthyology, Liège, Belgium, July 2012, 202.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Ladich, F., Heß, M. & Plath, M. 2012. Microanatomy of the inner ear and hearing abilities in a cyprinodontiform fish. 14th European Congress of Ichthyology, Liège, Belgium, July 2012, 201.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Ladich, F. & Metscher, B. 2012. Structure-function relationship of inner ear and swim bladder morphology and hearing abilities in Asian and African cichlids. Cichlid Science Meeting, Leuven, Belgium, September 2012.
 
2011
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Ladich, F., Heß, M. & Plath, M. 2011. Inner ear morphology and hearing abilities in a cave-dwelling form of the Atlantic molly, Poecilia mexicana (Teleostei; Poeciliidae). XXIII meeting of the International Bioacoustics Council, La Rochelle, France, September 2011, 143.
 
2010
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Griesshaber, E., Götz, A., Plath, M. & Schmahl W. W. 2010. Texture and microstructure of otoliths from cave- and surface-dwelling fish: a high resolution EBSD study. Zitteliana B 29, 95.
 
2009
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Ladich, F. & Plath, M. 2009. Otolith morphology and hearing abilities in a cave- and a surface-dwelling form of the Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana). – 4th International Otolith Symposium: 97; Monterey, CA.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Plath, M. & Ladich, F. 2009a. Do otoliths and hearing abilities differ between cave mollies and their surface-dwelling relatives? – XIII. European Congress of Ichthyology: 35-36; Klaipėda, Lithuania.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Plath, M. & Ladich, F. 2009b. Hearing abilities and otolith morphology in cave- and surface-dwelling populations of the Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana). – 7. Tagung der Gesellschaft für Ichthyologie: 29; Hamburg.
Griesshaber, E., Schulz-Mirbach, T., Götz, A., Kelm, K., Neuser, R.D. & Schmahl, W.W. 2009. Microscale phase and texture analysis of aragonite and calcite biomaterials: brachiopod shell calcite and fish otoliths. – Annual Meeting 2009 of the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland: 127-128; Edinburgh.
Schneider, S., Fürsich, F.T., Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Werner, W. 2009. Speciation patterns in bivalves from the Late Jurassic of Portugal – a morphometric approach. – Terra Nostra – Schriften der GeoUnion Alfred Wegener Stiftung 2009/3: 107-108; Bonn.
 
2008
Schulz-Mirbach, T. 2008. Morphological variation in otoliths of Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28(3), Suppl.: 138A.
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2008a. Influence of hybridization and polyploidy on otolith morphology of a natural hybrid, Poecilia formosa (Teleostei: Poeciliidae). – 6. Tagung der Gesellschaft für Ichthyologie: 55; Munich.
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2008b. Hearing in the dark: Changed otolith morphology in a cave-dwelling form of Poecilia mexicana (Teleostei). – Systematics 2008: 132; Göttingen.
Reichenbacher, B., Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Klug, S. 2008. Ostariophysan otoliths and their stratigraphic and systematic value. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28(3), Suppl.: 130A-131A.
Reichenbacher, B., Feulner, G. & Schulz-Mirbach, T. 2008a. Intraspecific variation among the killifish Aphanius dispar (Teleostei, Cyprinodontiformes). – Arbeitskreis Wirbeltierpaläontologie, 08. März 2008; Bad Kissingen.
Reichenbacher, B., Feulner, G. & Schulz-Mirbach, T. 2008b. Otoliths as indicators of microevolution in freshwater populations of Aphanius dispar (Cyprinodontiformes) from the Arabian Peninsula. – 6. Tagung der Gesellschaft für Ichthyologie: 49; Munich.
 
2007
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2007a. Fourier shape analysis of otoliths of the natural hybrid Poecilia formosa and its parental species P. latipinna and P. mexicana. – XII. European Congress of Ichthyology: 82-83; Cavtat.
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2007b. Fourier shape analysis of fossil otoliths from Southwest Anatolia (Turkey). – Wissenschaftliche Mitteilungen des Institutes für Geologie 36: 142-143; Freiberg.
Schulz-Mirbach, T., Griesshaber, E., Pettke, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2007. Does hydrogen sulphide influence the trace element composition of otoliths of the cave molly (Poecilia mexicana)? – XII. European Congress of Ichthyology: 142-143; Cavtat.
 
2006
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2006. Vergleich der Otolithenmerkmale anatolischer Arten, Unterarten und Populationen der Gattung Aphanius Nardo, 1827 (Teleostei, Cyprinodontiformes). – Berichte – Reports des Instituts für Geowissenschaften, Christian-Albrechts-Universität 22: 135-136; Kiel.
 
2005
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2005. Otoliths (sagittae) characters of subspecies and populations – a study on Aphanius spp. (Cyprinodontiformes, Teleostei) from Anatolia (Turkey). – Berichte des Institutes für Erdwissenschaften, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz 10: 126-127; Graz.
 
2004
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2004a. Untersuchungen an Otolithen (Lapilli) rezenter Karpfenfische und das Ende von „genus Cyprinidarum sp.“ – 7. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Biologische Systematik: 104; Stuttgart.
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. Untersuchungen an Otolithen (Lapilli) rezenter Karpfenfische und das Ende von „genus Cyprinidarum sp.“ – Organisms, Diversity and Evolution 4, Electronic Supplements 6: 105; Frankfurt/M.
Schulz-Mirbach, T. & Reichenbacher, B. 2004c. Otolithen (Lapilli) rezenter Karpfenfische als Schlüssel zur Bestimmung fossiler Taxa. – 74. Jahrestagung der Paläontologischen Gesellschaft: 218-219; Göttingen.
 
2003
Böhme, M., Reichenbacher, B. & Schulz-Mirbach, T. 2003. Neogene freshwater fishes from Anatolia – a key for understanding the (palaeo)biogeography of European freshwater fishes. – International Symposium of Fisheries and Zoology: 9-10; Istanbul.
 
Invited Seminars
28.01.2014: ‘Evolution und Vielfalt des Hörvermögens und entsprechender Hörstrukturen bei Fischen’, Department of Ecology & Evolution, J. W. Goethe University, invited by Prof. Dr. Martin Plath.

25.06.2009: ‘Hearing abilities and inner ear structure in a cave form of the Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana).’, Institute for Limnology, Austrian Academy of Sciences (Dr. Dunja Lamatsch)

21.10.2008: ‘Hearing in the dark: changed otolith morphology in a cave-dwelling form of Poecilia mexicana.’, Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma (Prof. Dr. Ingo Schlupp and Prof. Dr. Larry Weider)
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