Mike Thiv

Mike Thiv is a Researcher and Head of the Botany Department at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart. His work focuses on plant systematics, biogeography, and floristic mapping, with a particular emphasis on the Eritrean-Arabian region, the Mediterranean, and Macaronesia. He has contributed to understanding evolutionary patterns in laurel forests, island endemism, and glacial refugia dynamics.

His academic journey includes a Habilitation at Heidelberg University (2015), a PhD on Gentianaceae phylogeny (2000), and a Diploma in Biology (1995). He has led third-party funded projects with grants totaling ~€800,000 and served as an associate editor for journals like Plant Systematics and Evolution.

Research projects span molecular phytogeography of the Socotra Archipelago, decline of clubmoss in Baden-Württemberg, and floristic dynamics under global change. His publications address adaptive radiation, vicariant speciation, and taxonomic revisions across diverse plant families.

Notable collaborations include work with M. Koch on Macaronesian Gesnouinia and Mediterranean Soleirolia woodiness evolution (2019), and with R. Linder on molecular phytogeography of Socotra plants (2001–2003). He has mentored no explicit advisees but contributes to interdisciplinary teams.

Key trends in his publications include integrating molecular and morphological data for taxonomy, exploring biogeographic disjunctions, and analyzing conservation genetics. His work bridges historical botany with modern phylogenetic methods, emphasizing biodiversity in Mediterranean and island ecosystems.