Ludwig Luthardt

Ludwig Luthardt is a Researcher in Paleobotany at the Museum of Natural History Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research in Berlin. As curator of the paleobotanical collection, he investigates fossil plants from the Late Paleozoic era (320–250 million years ago) to understand ancient climate conditions and evolutionary responses to global change.

• Research focus: Late Paleozoic land ecosystems
• Specialization: Medullosales seed ferns and drought-resistant vegetation
• Methodologies: Dendroecology, hydraulic conductivity analysis, computer-based plant physiological modeling

His interdisciplinary work combines paleontology and geology to reconstruct interactions between Earth's atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere during periods of major climatic upheaval, particularly the Late Paleozoic Ice Age and subsequent seasonal aridification of tropical forests.

Current research includes the DFG-funded project (2023–2026) Diversity, ecology, and functional traits of Medullosa ferns in Central Europe, focusing on:

• Taxonomic classification of Medullosa ferns
• 3D plant architecture reconstructions
• Computer simulations of water balance and drought resistance