Christian Neumann

Dr. Christian Neumann is a paleontological researcher and Section Leader of Invertebrate Palaeozoology at the Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research in Berlin. As Curator of the Palaeozoological Collections, he specializes in Echinodermata, Arthropoda (including amber collections), Bryozoa, Graptolites, and Cretaceous/Mesozoic fossil assemblages.

• Role: Section Leader & Curator
• Institution: Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
• Email: christian.neumann@mfn.berlin

His research focuses on biotic interactions in marine benthic organisms, particularly symbiosis (commensalism, parasitism, mutualism) in deep time. He uses the fossil sea urchin Echinocorys as a model taxon to study parasite-host coevolution, bioerosion patterns, and survival through mass extinctions. His work combines neutron/X-ray tomography with ichnological analysis to reveal hidden symbiotic traces in fossils.

Selected publications highlight his expertise in Cretaceous paleoecology, trace fossils (e.g., Oichnus halo), and interdisciplinary applications like 3D magnetic resonance imaging. He contributes to evolving understanding of symbiotic relationships across geological timescales through studies on echinoid parasitism, bioimmuration in oysters, and fossil assemblages from glacial erratics.