© DSK

Annual meeting of the German Stratigraphic Commission in Münster

On February 20 and 21, the annual meeting of the German Stratigraphic Commission (DSK) will take place in Münster for the first time. The event is being organized by the AG Paläontologie under the direction of Prof. Becker, the current DSK chairman.

The DSK deals with questions of geological history and stratigraphy. It is a working group of the German National Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and advises the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). Its tasks include the revision of the Stratigraphic Table of Germany and the digital lexicon “Litholex”, which covers all lithostratigraphic units of German geological maps. It also publishes standard scientific works and coordinates the work of its subcommissions.

A new task of the DSK is the more precise definition and international coordination of the regional German geological ages (e.g. Siegenian, Muschelkalk, Malm). This should help to make better use of geological and palaeontological data for regional and global analyses - for example on European palaeogeography, climate development, changes in palaeobiodiversity or the distribution of deposits.

The Geomuseum will also be presented at the meeting in Münster.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

© unsplash.com/@simonppt

Geowissenschaften für die Zukunft

17 Professor*innen des FB14 nehmen in offenem Brief Stellung zum Schulfach Geographie

Baden-Württembergs Ministerpräsident Winfried Kretschmann sorgte im Januar für Gesprächsstoff im Fachbereich Geowissenschaften (FB14). In einem Online-Artikel zur Schulpolitik wurde er mit einer Aussage zitiert, die das Schulfach Geographie auf Kartenlesen reduziert. Als Reaktion auf diese Aussage positionieren sich 17 Professor*innen des FB14 in einem offenen Brief: "Geographie bleibt entscheidend, um globale Zusammenhänge zu verstehen" und um "Antworten auf die drängendsten Fragen unserer Zeit liefern zu können".

Der offene Brief wird in der neusten Ausgabe der Unizeitung  wissen|leben vorgestellt. Hier finden Sie den Artikel zum offenen Brief in der wissen|leben.

Offener Brief der Wissenschaftler*innen

© Kyra Hölzer

Congratulations, Dr. Kyra Hölzer!

We congratulate Dr. Kyra Hölzer on the successful completion of her doctorate on January 8, 2025. With her dissertation on “Constraining exhumation histories in the European Alps using thermochronology and thermokinematic modeling (PECUBE)” she has made a significant contribution to research in this field.

We wish her all the best and every success in her future career!

© Till Söte

How stony corals have survived for millions of years 

New Nature paper with contribution from Münster

Stony corals can survive in nutrient-poor, tropical seas because they form a special symbiosis with photosynthetic microorganisms. This partnership has a long history - but it was previously unclear how far back in Earth's history it goes. An international research team has now shown that some coral species already hosted photosymbionts 385 million years ago.

Dr. Till Söte contributed to the current Nature paper during his doctorate at the Institute of Geology and Palaeontology at the University of Münster.

Link to the publication

© Archäologisches Museum Münster

Archaeology meets Geology


Scientists from the Institute of Geology and Palaeontology are involved in the return of an ancient art object

The University of Münster has now returned a marble head of unknown origin to the Greek state. The University's Archaeological Museum was given the head from a private collection in Essen in 1989, but it remains unclear how the donors obtained the ancient piece, who removed it from its original location and when it was removed.

Prof. Dr. Laura Stutenbecker and Prof. Dr. David De Vleeschouwer examined the composition of the marble and compared it with analyses carried out last year on selected marble objects in the Archaeological Museum in Thessaloniki.

Newsportal of the University of Münster

© Unsplash, Mika Baumeister

Pollutants in shipping: researchers recommend stricter regulations

New study on the toxicity of ship waste water from the working group Applied Geology

The international maritime shipping industry contributes to air pollution, particularly in coastal areas and port cities. A research team led by Prof. Dr. Christine Achten has analysed the wastewater from exhaust gas cleaning systems for their contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their toxicity. This is one of the most comprehensive studies on this topic. 

News portal of the University of Münster

© IGP

Alumni*ae network of the Institute of Geology and Palaeontology

It is an important concern of the Institute of Geology and Palaeontology to establish a close and long-lasting relationship with its alumni*ae. The common ground of all alumni*ae is to have studied in Münster and to have written a thesis at the Institute of Geology and Palaeontology or to have worked at the institute.

If you are interested, you can register here free of charge:
Alumni*ae network of the Institute of Geology and Palaeontology