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Dr. Bastian Mähler

Bastian Mähler's research is concerned with the processes of taphonomy. As an experimentalist, he studies decay processes under aquatic conditions and in tree resin. He is part of the DFG Research Group 2685 "The frontiers of fossil history: analytical and experimental approaches to understanding fossilisation". During his PhD studies he worked on subproject B3 "The influence of bacterial activity on the decay and fossilisation of arthropods: an experimental approach". Currently, Bastian Mähler is working as a postdoc on subproject C5 of the research group "Soft part preservation in amber - methodical approaches to understanding amber taphonomy.

Research topics

  • Palaeontology
  • Zoology
  • Invertebrates
  • Taphonomy
  • Amber
Avatar Mähler

Dr. Bastian Mähler

Invertebrate, postdoc

+49 228 739338

Pal 1.001

Nussallee 8

53115 Bonn

© Manuel Kunz

Invertebrate Paleontology, Prof. Dr. Jes Rust

Project collaborations

  • Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB)
    [Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)]:
    • Project title: Evolutionary, taphonomic and palaeoecological study of resin-embedded organisms
    • Project partner: Dr. David Peris

  • Charles University Prague (Institute of Geology and Paleontology):
    • Project title: The evolution of Cicadoidea
    • Project partner: Dr. Hui Jiang

  • University College Cork (UCC)
    [School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES)]:
    • Project title: Feathers in amber
    • Project partner: Dr. Tiffany Slater

  • Geowissenschaftliches Museum am Geowissenschaftlichen Zentrum der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen:
    • Project title: Taphonomy and soft tissue preservation in amber
    • Project partner: Dr. Alexander Gehler

Curiculum vitae

since 2022 PostDoc on the topic:
Soft partition conservation in amber - Methodological approaches to understanding amber taphonomy.
2018 – 2022 Doctorate within the DFG Research Unit 2685: Fossilisation, at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-
University of Bonn, doctoral thesis:
Decomposition experiments on Cambarellus diminutus (Decapoda: Cambaridae) under different environmental
conditions and the influence of bacterial activity with regard to fossilization
2017 – 2021 Research associate at the Institute of Geosciences, Department of Palaeontology, Rheinische
Friedrich-Wilhelms-University Bonn
2004 – 2013 Study of biology at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Diploma.
Thesis topic:
The decay process of Talpa europaea under anaerobic, aquatic conditions in comparison to the
partial skeleton of Geotrypus antiquus from the Upper Oligocene fossil deposit of Enspel.
1st Nov 2013 - 24th Aug 2016

Research assistant at the Steinmann Institute for Geology, Mineralogy and Palaeontology in Bonn:

- Preparation and washing of sediment samples from China, Russia and Germany.
- Selection of the slurried sediment
- Supervision of student interns
- Museum service in the Goldfoot Museum
- Scanning of various samples with the µ-CT
- Three-dimensional reconstruction of scanned objects
- Making casts of fossil and recent dentitions and creating plastic models
- Taking scanning electron microscope images
2nd May 2012 - 31th  Oct 2013

Student assistant at the Steinmann Institute for Geology, Mineralogy and Palaeontology in Bonn:

- Preparation and washing of sediment samples from China, Russia and Germany.
- Selection of the slurried sediment
- Museum service at the Goldfußmuseum
1st Aug 2011 - 31th Dec 2011

Student assistant at the ZFMK - Zoological Research Museum Alexander König:

- Digitisation and processing of old slides from the ZFMK collection
- Archiving of technical literature
20th Jun 2011 - 1st Jul 2011

Student assistant at the ZFMK - Zoological Research Museum Alexander König:

- Supervision of the 14-day internship "Mammalian Biodiversity"


“
18th Oct 2010 - 31th Dec 2010

Student assistant at the ZFMK - Zoological Research Museum Alexander König:

- Digitisation and processing of old slides from the ZFMK collection

Publikations

Peris, D., Jelínek, J., Sabatelli, S., Liu, M-K., Peña-Kairath, C., Zhao, Q., Cai, C-Y., Kairišs, K., Mähler, B., Rühr, P.T., Hammel, J.U. and Audisio, P. 2024. “Archaic sap beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) as Cretaceous pollinators”. Palaeoentomology. 007(5): 594-610:
https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.7.5.4
Peris, D., Jelínek, J., Sabatelli, S., Liu, M-K., Zhao, Q., Cai, C-Y., Mähler, B., Kairišs, K. and Audisio, P. 2024. “Cretabaltoraea volsella gen. et sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from Cretaceous Kachin amber and its relationship with Eocene Baltoraea (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)”. Mesozoic. 001(3):
https://doi.org/10.11646/Mesozoic.1.3.10
Jiang,H., Szwedo,J., Labandeira,C.C., Chen,J., Moulds,M.S., Mähler,B., Muscente,A.D., Zhuo,D., Nyunt,T.T., Zhang,H., Wei,C., Rust,J. and Wang,B. 2024. „Mesozoic evolution of cicadas and their origins of vocalization and root feeding“. Nature Communications. 15(1):
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44446-x
Mähler, B., Schellhorn, R., Schlösser, M. and Schwermann, A.H. 2023. „Eiszeitfliegen in Westfalen“. Geologie und Paläontologie in Westfalen. 97
Jiang,H., Szwedo,J., Labandeira,C.C., Chen,J., Moulds,M.S., Mähler,B., Muscente,A.D., Zhuo,D., Nyunt,T.T., Zhang,H., Wei,C., Rust,J. and Wang,B. 2024. „Mesozoic evolution of cicadas and their origins of vocalization and root feeding“. Nature Communications. 15(1):
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44446-x
Mähler, B., Schellhorn, R., Schlösser, M. and Schwermann, A.H. 2023. „Eiszeitfliegen in Westfalen“. Geologie und Paläontologie in Westfalen  97
Mähler,B., Janssen,K., Lönartz,M.I., Lagos,M., Geisler,T., Rust,J. and Bierbaum,G. 2023. „Time-dependent microbial shifts during crayfish decomposition in freshwater and sediment under different environmental conditions“. Scientific Reports. 13(1):
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28713-x
Janssen,K., Mähler,B., Rust,J., Bierbaum,G. and McCoy,V.E. 2022. „The complex role of microbial metabolic activity in fossilization“. Biological Reviews. 97(2): 449-465.
https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12806
Jiang, H., Tomaschek, F., Drew Muscente, A., Niu, C., Nyunt, T.T., Fang, Y., Schmidt, U., Chen, J., Lönartz, M., Mähler, B., Wappler, T., Jarzembowski, E.A., Szwedo, J., Zhang, H., Rust, J. and Wang, B. 2022. „Widespread mineralization of soft‐bodied insects in Cretaceous amber“. Geobiology. 20(3): 363-376.
https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12488
Mähler, B., Janssen, K., Tahoun, M., Tomaschek, F., Schellhorn, R., Müller, C.E., Bierbaum, G. and Rust, J. 2022. „Adipocere formation in biofilms as a first step in soft tissue preservation“. Scientific Reports. 12(1): 10122.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14119-8
Peris, D., Mähler, B. and Kolibáč, J. 2022. „Review of the Family Thanerocleridae (Coleoptera: Cleroidea) and the Description of Thanerosus gen. nov. from Cretaceous Amber Using Micro-CT Scanning“. Insects. 13(5): 438.
https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13050438
Mähler, B., Janssen, K., Menneken, M., Tahoun, M., Lagos, M., Bierbaum, G., Müller, C. and Rust, J. 2020. „Calcite precipitation forms crystal clusters and muscle mineralization during the decomposition of Cambarellus diminutus (Decapoda: Cambaridae) in freshwater“. Palaeontologia Electronica.
https://doi.org/10.26879/992
Peris, D., Bao, T., Mähler, B. and Philips, T.K. 2020. „A morphologically unique species of Ptinidae (Coleoptera) and the first found in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (Myanmar)“. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 18(10): 873-883.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2019.1695291
Peris, D., Kundrata, R., Delclòs, X., Mähler, B., Ivie, M.A., Rust, J. and Labandeira, C.C. 2020. „Unlocking the mystery of the mid-Cretaceous Mysteriomorphidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) and modalities in transiting from gymnosperms to angiosperms“. Scientific Reports. 10(1):
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73724-7
van de Kamp, T., Schwermann, A.H., dos Santos Rolo, T., Lösel, P.D., Engler, T., Etter, W., Faragó, T., Göttlicher, J., Heuveline, V., Kopmann, A., Mähler, B., Mörs, T., Odar, J., Rust, J., Tan Jerome, N., Vogelgesang, M., Baumbach, T. and Krogmann, L. 2018. „Parasitoid biology preserved in mineralized fossils“. Nature Communications. 9(1):
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05654-y
Mähler, B., Wappler, T., Sanmugaraja, M., Menger, F. and Koenigswald, W.v. 2016. „Upper Pleistocene blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) trapped in fossilized crania of large mammals discovered from gravel pits in the Rhine rift valley from Hesse (Germany)“. Palaeontologia Electronica.
https://doi.org/10.26879/612
Mähler, B., Schwermann, A.H., Wuttke, M., Schultz, J.A. and Martin, T. 2015. „Four-dimensional virtopsy and the taphonomy of a mole from the Oligocene of Lake Enspel (Germany)“. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. 95(1): 115-131.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-014-0180-x