Dr. Moritz Muschick

Scientific Interests

My research as a zoologist and evolutionary biologist is concerned with how biodiversity arises through
speciation and adaptive radiation. I am convinced that understanding and quantifying the influence of
environmental change on biodiversity is one of the biggest and most timely goals in current environmental
sciences. On the one hand, loss of biodiversity, climate change and ecosystem degradation are
advancing rapidly, pose large threats to ecosystems and human wellbeing, and hence we need to identify
causes and effects of this change to be able to mitigate threats. On the other hand, studying these
changes and the evolutionary responses they triggered allows us to build our fundamental understanding
of the drivers of loss and gain of biodiversity and the respective roles of adaptation, speciation, extinction
or migration. Specifically, I am investigating (1) diversification and extinction in adaptive
radiations of fishes using geologically young fossil records and ancient DNA, (2) resolving
phylogenetic relationships of taxa and tracking genetic diversity through time using historic DNA
from museum specimens, and (3) pushing the technical limits of these approaches by improving
the methodology for isolating and analysing degraded nucleic acids.

CV

MORITZ MUSCHICK
Ph.D. | Dipl. Biol. he / him
date & place of birth 23rd October 1980 in Wolfenbüttel, Germany
nationality - Germany

current position - Akademischer Rat, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Germany

identifiers ORCID: 0000-0002-7782-7503, ResearcherID: B-9843-2012, ScopusID: 12242492700

SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Akademischer Rat at LMU Munich, 2025 - ongoing
In this recently started position, I continue to investigate fish radiations using museum specimens and subfossils. I teach on fish diversity, organismic biology and animal identification, also in field practicals.

Postdoctoral Research at University of Bern and Eawag, 2015 – 2024
During this time, I established that fish subfossils from lake sediments can reveal patterns and processes in diversification, spanning the intersection of macro- and microevolution. In a large collaborative project, we investigated the environmental history of Lake Victoria and its cichlid fish radiation. Major findings were the realisation that the adaptive radiation was not triggered by cichlids arriving first, but rather them being ecologically versatile enough to seize the opportunities presented by a rapidly changing lake, at least in part through extremely rapid morphological diversification in the first 3000 years of the radiation. I was employed on positions at Eawag and University of Bern, in parts funded by an SNSF Sinergia grant and an Academic Transition Grant. I supervised Ph.D., M.Sc. and B.Sc. students and organised a recurring practical.

Postdoctoral Research at the University of Sheffield, 2012 – 2015
Funded by two postdoctoral fellowships, I conducted research on ecology’s role in the diversification of Timema stick insects. A major finding was that the magnitude of reproductive isolation between populations on different host plants depended on the host plants phylogenetic relatedness.

Ph.D. studies at the University of Basel, Switzerland, 2007 – 2011
My Ph.D. thesis work focussed on the cichlid fish adaptive radiation in Lake Tanganyika. A major finding was that ecomorphological convergence was also prevalent within an adaptive radiation, not confined to cases across different lake radiations. During this time, I co-supervised M.Sc. student projects and participated in teaching practicals in evolutionary biology. I was awarded the degree Dr. phil. in Zoology on 25.11.2011, with highest distinction (summa cum laude).

Studies of Biology at the University of Konstanz, 2001 – 2007
Undergraduate and graduate studies of general biology at the University of Konstanz, Germany. During most of this time I worked as an assistant at the Chair for Evolutionary Biology, performing research on the evolution of the Midas cichlid fish species complex in crater lake Apoyo, Nicaragua, later resulting in my Diplom thesis. A major finding was the
demonstration of a case of speciation in sympatry. I also worked for several years as a teaching assistant in the animal identification course

PUBLICATIONS

Current citation statistics can be viewed here. *: equal contribution, s: supervised student co-author

Published / in press

[36] Ngoepe N, Mwaiko S, Kishe MA, Wienhues G, Temoltzin-Loranca Y, King L, Courtney Mustaphi C, Grosjean M, Tinner W, Matthews B, Vogel H, Heiri O, Jemmi E, Lürig MD, Winther Pedersen M, Seehausen O* & Muschick M* (2025) Fossil evidence for trait diversification in an adaptive radiation. Scientific Reports 15:38824

[35] Muschick M, Rüber L & Matschiner M (2025) Museomics reveals the phylogenetic position of an enigmatic vertebrate family (Lophiiformes: Lophichthyidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 211:108406

[34] King L, Wienhues G, Misra P, Tylmann W, Lami A, Bernasconi SM, Jaggi M, Courtney-Mustaphi C, Muschick M, Ngoepe N, Mwaiko S, Kishe MA, Cohen A, Heiri O, Seehausen O, Vogel H, Grosjean M & Matthews B (2024) Anthropogenic eutrophication drives major food web changes in Mwanza Gulf, Lake Victoria. Ecosystems 27:577–591

[33] Berke M, Peppe D & the Lake Victoria Drilling Project consortium (2024) ICDP workshop on the Lake Victoria Drilling Project (LVDP): scientific drilling of the world’s largest tropical lake. Scientific Drilling 33:21-31

[32] Ngoepe N, Merz A, King L, Wienhues G, Kishe MA, Mwaiko S, Misra P, Grosjean M, Matthews B, Courtney-Mustaphi C, Heiri O, Cohen A, Tinner W, Muschick M & Seehausen O (2024) Testing alternative hypotheses for the decline of cichlid fish in Lake Victoria using fish tooth time series from sediment cores. Biology Letters 20:20230604

[31] Wienhues G, Lami A, Bernasconi SM, Jaggi M, Morlock MA, Vogel H, Cohen A, Courtney-Mustaphi C, Heiri O, King L, Kishe MA, Misra P, Muschick M, Ngoepe N, Matthews B, Seehausen O, Temoltzin-Loranca Y, Tinner W & Grosjean M (2024) Latest Pleistocene and Holocene aquatic primary paleo-production and producer communities in phase with hydroclimate changes in Lake Victoria, eastern Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews 330:108599

[30] King L, Courtney-Mustaphi C, Cuenca-Cambronero M, Wienhues G, Ngoepe N, Temoltzin-Loranca Y, Muschick M, Vogel H, Grosjean M, Tinner W, Kishe MA, Heiri O, Seehausen O & Matthews B (2024) Temporal dynamics of invertebrate community assembly in Lake Victoria since the Late Pleistocene based on chitinous remains. Freshwater Biology 69:660–678

[29] Wienhues G, Temoltzin-Loranca Y, Vogel H, Morlock MA, Cohen A, Anselmetti FS, Bernasconi SM, Jaggi M, Kishe MA, King L, Ngoepe N, Courtney-Mustaphi C, Muschick M, Matthews B, Mwaiko S, Seehausen O, Tinner W & Grosjean M (2024) From desiccation to wetlands and outflow: rapid re-filling of Lake Victoria during the Latest Pleistocene 14–13 ka. Journal of Great Lakes Research 50:102246

[28] Temoltzin-Loranca Y, Gobet E, Vannière B, van Leeuwen JFN, Wienhues G, Courtney-Mustaphi C, Kishe MA, Muschick M, King L, Misra P, Ngoepe N, Matthews B, Vogel H, Heiri O, Seehausen O, Grosjean M & Tinner W (2023) Ecological long-term successions around Lake Victoria from the Late-Glacial to the onset of the Holocene African Humid Period. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 631:111839

[27] Muschick M, Jemmi E, Lengacher N, Hänsch S, Wales N, Kishe MA, Mwaiko S, Dieleman J, Lever MA, Salzburger W, Verschuren D & Seehausen O (2023) Ancient DNA is preserved in fish subfossils from tropical lake sediments. Molecular Ecology 32:5913-5931

[26] Ngoepe N, Muschick M, Kishe MA, Mwaiko S, Temoltzin-Loranca Y, Courtney-Mustaphi C, King L, Cuenca-Cambronero M, Wienhues G, Grosjean M, Matthews B & Seehausen O (2023) A continuous fish fossil record reveals key insights into adaptive radiation. Nature 622:315-320

[25] Temoltzin-Loranca Y, Gobet E, Vannière B, van Leeuwen JFN, Wienhues G, Szidat S, Courtney-Mustaphi C, Kishe MA, Muschick M, Seehausen O, Grosjean M & Tinner W (2023) A chronologically reliable record of 17,000 years of biomass burning in the Lake Victoria area. Quaternary Science Reviews 301:107915

[24] Muschick M, Nikolaeva E, Rüber L & Matschiner M (2022) The mitochondrial genome of the red icefish (Channichthys rugosus) casts doubt on its species status. Polar Biology 45:1541–1552

[23] Chaturvedi S, Gompert Z, Feder JF, Osborne OG, Muschick M, Riesch R, Soria-Carrasco V & Nosil P (2022) Climatic similarity and genomic background shape the extent of parallel adaptation in Timema stick insects. Nature Ecology & Evolution 6:1952–1964

[22] Cuenca-Cambronero M, Courtney-Mustaphi CJ, Greenway R, Heiri O, Hudson CM, King L, Lemmen KD, Moosmann M, Muschick M, Ngoepe N, Seehausen O & Matthews B (2022) An integrative paleolimnological approach for studying evolutionary processes. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 37:488-496

[21] Russell JM, Barker P, Cohen A, Ivory S, Kimirei I, Lane C, Leng M, Maganza N, McGlue M, Msaky E, Noren A, Park Boush L, Salzburger W, Scholz C, Tiedemann R, Nuru S & the Lake Tanganyika Scientific Drilling Project (TSDP) Consortium (2021) ICDP workshop on the Lake Tanganyika Scientific Drilling Project: a late Miocene–present record of climate, rifting, and ecosystem evolution from the world’s oldest tropical lake. Scientific Drilling 27:53-60

[20] Monchamp ME, Bruel R, Frossard V, McGowan S, Lavrieux M, Muschick M, Perga ME & Dubois N (2021) Paleo-evidence for a multi-trophic regime shift in a perialpine lake (Lake Joux, Switzerland). Anthropocene 35:100301

[19] Villoutreix R, de Carvalho CF, Soria-Carrasco V, Lindtke D, De-La-Mora M, Muschick M, Feder J, Gompert Z & Nosil P (2020) Large-scale mutation in the evolution of a gene complex for cryptic coloration. Science 369:460-466

[18] Muschick M*, Soria-Carrasco V*, Feder JL, Gompert Z & Nosil P (2020) Adaptive zones shape the magnitude of premating reproductive isolation in Timema stick insects. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 375:20190541

[17] Dieleman J*, Muschick M*, Nyingi WD & Verschuren D (2019) Species integrity and origin of the Oreochromis hunteri (Pisces: Cichlidae) population endemic to crater Lake Chala, Kenya-Tanzania. Hydrobiologia 832:269

[16] Kovac R, Boileau N, Muschick M & Salzburger W (2019) The diverse prey spectrum of the Tanganyikan scale-eater Perissodus microlepis (Boulenger, 1898). Hydrobiologia 832:85

[15] Muschick M, Russell JM, Jemmi EI, Walker J, Stewart KM, Murray AM, Dubois N, Stager JC, Johnson TC & Seehausen O (2018) Arrival order and release from competition does not explain why haplochromine cichlids radiated in Lake Victoria. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 285: 20180462

[14] Muschick M & Salzburger W (2018) Adaptive radiation: An archipelago replete with replicates. Current Biology 28:R549–R569

[13] Riesch R*, Muschick M*, Lindtke D*, Villoutreix R*, Comeault AA, Farkas T, Lucek K, Hellen E, Soria-Carrasco V, Dennis SR, de Carvalho CF, Safran RJ, Sandoval CP, Feder J, Gries R, Crespi BJ, Gries G, Gompert Z* & Nosil P (2017) Transitions between phases of genomic differentiation during speciation. Nature Ecology & Evolution 1:00082

[12] Janzen T, Alzate A, Muschick M, Maan M, van der Plas F & Etienne RS (2017) Community assembly in Lake Tanganyika cichlid fish: quantifying the contributions of both niche-based and neutral processes. Ecology & Evolution 7:1057-1067

[11] Spinks R, Muschick M, Salzburger W & Gante H (2016) Singing above the chorus: cooperative Princess cichlid fish (Neolamprologus pulcher) has high pitch. Hydrobiologia 791:115

[10] Boileau N, Cortesi F, Egger B, Muschick M, Indermaur A, Theis A, Büscher HH & Salzburger W (2015) A complex mode of aggressive mimicry in a scale-eating cichlid fish. Biology Letters 11:20150521

[9] Comeault AA, Riesch R, Curran E, Soria-Carrasco V, Gompert Z, Farkas TE, Muschick M, Parchman TL, Schwander T, Slate J & Nosil P (2015) Selection on a genetic polymorphism counteracts ecological speciation in a stick insect. Current Biology 25:1975-1981

[8] Muschick M, Nosil P, Roesti M, Dittmann MT, Harmon L & Salzburger W (2014) Testing the stage model in the adaptive radiation of cichlid fishes in East African Lake Tanganyika. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 281:1795

[7] Nosil P, Riesch R & Muschick M (2013) Climate affects geographic variation in host-plant but not mating preferences of Timema cristinae stick-insect populations. Evolutionary Ecology Research 15:1-16

[6] Colombo M, Diepeveen E, Muschick M, Santos E, Indermaur A, Boileau N, Barluenga M & Salzburger W (2013) The ecological and genetic basis of convergent thick-lipped phenotypes in cichlid fishes. Molecular Ecology 22:670-684

[5] Muschick M, Indermaur A & Salzburger W (2012) Convergence within an adaptive radiation of cichlid fishes. Current Biology 22:2362-2368

[4] Dittmann M, Roesti M, Indermaur A, Colombo M, Gschwind M, Keller I, Kovac R, Muschick M & Salzburger W (2012) Depth-dependent abundance of Midas cichlid fish (Amphilophus spp.) in two Nicaraguan crater lakes. Hydrobiologia 686:277-285

[3] Rutschmann S, Matschiner M, Damerau M, Muschick M, Lehmann MF, Hanel R & Salzburger W (2011) Parallel ecological diversification in Antarctic notothenioid fishes as evidence for adaptive radiation. Molecular Ecology 20:4707-4721

[2] Muschick M, Barluenga M, Salzburger W & Meyer A (2011) Adaptive phenotypic plasticity in the Midas cichlid fish pharyngeal jaw and its relevance in adaptive radiation. BMC Evolutionary Biology 11:116

[1] Barluenga M*, Stölting KN*, Salzburger W*, Muschick M & Meyer A (2006) Sympatric speciation in a Nicaraguan crater lake cichlid fish. Nature 439:719-723