Various satellite symposia on specific topics will accompany the DZG Meeting, organised by the respective DZG section groups. Registration for the satellite symposia will be handled separately from the main conference. If you would like to register, please follow the information provided below. Further details will be added in due course.
Form, Function and Phylogeny
Friday, 11 September 2026
Organisers:
Section Morphology
Section Systematics, Biogeography & Diversity
Invited Speakers:
Bonnie Blaimer (Berlin)
Romain Boisseau (Lausanne)
Greg Edgecombe (London)
The late 20th and early 21st centuries were defined by a “molecular revolution” that fundamentally restructured our understanding of the Tree of Life. While high-throughput sequencing and phylogenomics provided novel resolution into evolutionary relationships, this also contributed to a perceived decline in the role of morphological and functional datasets in zoological systematics. The revision of numerous phylogenetic hypotheses by molecular data has raised major questions regarding the phylogenetic informativeness of morphological traits and the evolutionary significance of phenotypic convergence. However, morphological data remain an indispensable, independent line of evidence for testing, interpreting and biologically contextualising molecular hypotheses and for understanding the adaptive landscapes that drive evolutionary change. This symposium addresses this recent and increasingly important interdisciplinary challenge: the transition from descriptive morphology to an integrative synthesis of form and function within a phylogenetic framework. Furthermore, integrating morphological, functional or biomechanical data with phylogenetic datasets receives growing attention. To reconstruct the evolution of functional systems or the transformation of morphological characters in the course of evolution requires combinations of molecular systematic and morphological input.
We aim in achieving four scientific goals: (1) to facilitate the exchange between morphological and molecular systematicists, focusing on the integration of disparate data levels. (2) to move beyond character-mapping by discussing morphological traits as functional units subject to selective pressures. (3) to evaluate the role of phenotypic evidence as a rigorous test for the interpretation and plausibility of phylogenomic results. (4) to provide a platform to present emerging methodologies at the interface of functional morphology and systematics.
Early-career researchers explicitly are encouraged to participate.
Send your abstract for a short talk or poster to systematik(at)dzg-ev.de
Neural Circuit Understanding in Changing Environments: Perturbance and Adaptation
Monday, 7 September | 9:00–13:00
Organisers:
Section Neurobiology
More details will follow soon
Non-invasive Methods in Behavioural Ecology: Use of Thermography
Friday, 11 September 2026
Organisers:
Section Behavioural Biology (Christian Nawroth, Sabine Kraus, Ahana A. Fernandez)
Rebecca Rimbach
Marion Varga
Modern behavioral biology increasingly relies on non-invasive methods to study behavior and physiological processes under natural conditions without affecting the animals. Thermography is emerging as a particularly promising tool in this field.
By measuring surface temperatures, thermography can detect physiological changes linked to arousal, stress, or emotional responses, and it also provides new opportunities for movement analysis and animal tracking in both laboratory and field settings.
This symposium aims to discuss current methods, applications, limitations, and future challenges of thermography in behavioral biology and will be accompanied by two experts in this field: Dr. Rahel Brügger and Dr. Andrea Ferretti.
We are looking forward to your participation!
