idiv-Using fossil finds and climate model simulations, the research team investigated the impact of climate change on mammalian diversity in Central Asia between approximately 66 and 23 million years ago. The Xining Basin – pictured here – is located in the study area in Central China.idiv-Using fossil finds and climate model simulations, the research team investigated the impact of climate change on mammalian diversity in Central Asia between approximately 66 and 23 million years ago. The Xining Basin – pictured here – is located in the study area in Central China. N. Meijer

24.09.2026 | Biodiversity in the Anthropocene, Media Release, Research

Hot, cold, dry: Climate change shaped mammal diversity 66 to 23 million years ago

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Presentations and Podcast

iDiv Podcast Interview with Susanne Fritz

Interview with Susanne Fritz for the iDiv Podcast Inside Biodiversity, episode 5 on August 2025.

GdNÄ Public talk by Susanne Fritz

Public talk (in German) by Susanne Fritz at the annual meeting of the Society of German Natural Scientists and Physicians (GdNÄ, Gesellschaft deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte), October 2024: Klimawandel und Biodiversitätsverlust

University of Hamburg Institute for Geology Talk by Susanne Fritz

Talk (Webinar for MSc students) by Susanne Fritz in the seminar series of the Institute for Geology at the University of Hamburg, Germany, December 2023: Mammalian biodiversity and climate change: can the geological past inform our future?

Press Releases (selected)

idiv-A herd of wild elephants walk through the savanna of Tarangire National Park (Image: Mat Hayward / Adobe Stock)idiv-A herd of wild elephants walk through the savanna of Tarangire National Park (Image: Mat Hayward / Adobe Stock)

Elephants walk through Tarangire National Park

The Agony of Choice

18/09/2023 The Agony of Choice: In Which Nature Reserves Should We Invest in the Future? New online tool offers transparent choices for decision-makers to reach the 30×30 target. Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research, Germany.

idiv-A monarch butterfly caterpillar eating a young leaf. These crawling insect will metamorphose into beautiful and graceful monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). (Image: Wayan Sumatika / Adobe Stock)idiv-A monarch butterfly caterpillar eating a young leaf. These crawling insect will metamorphose into beautiful and graceful monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). (Image: Wayan Sumatika / Adobe Stock)

A caterpillar eating a leaf

The very hungry Caterpillar

07/08/2023 The very hungry Caterpillar: 60 Million-year-old Feeding Traces. Sharing of food plants as a driving force for insect diversity. Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research, Germany.

idiv-Two colorful European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) perched on a small branch. (Image: Lucaar / Adobe Stock)idiv-Two colorful European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) perched on a small branch. (Image: Lucaar / Adobe Stock)

Two European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) perched on a branch

Scientists envisage climate change will severely impact bird communities by 2080

03/08/2022 Scientists envisage climate change will severely impact bird communities by 2080. Durham University, UK.

idiv-Scientist holding a male great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) and measuring its beak in a bird banding/ringing session. (Image: Daniel Santos / Adobe Stock)idiv-Scientist holding a male great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) and measuring its beak in a bird banding/ringing session. (Image: Daniel Santos / Adobe Stock) Daniel Santos / Adobe Stock

Scientist holding a great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) and measuring its beak

Body measurements for all 11,000 bird species released in open-access database

15/03/2022 Body measurements for all 11,000 bird species released in open-access database. Imperial College London, UK.

idiv-The Arctic Tern, Sterna paradisaea is soaring and looking for the fish, in the background are pieces of blue glacier, at the famous glacier lake Jökulsárlón in Iceland (Image: Petr Šimon / Adobe Stock)idiv-The Arctic Tern, Sterna paradisaea is soaring and looking for the fish, in the background are pieces of blue glacier, at the famous glacier lake Jökulsárlón in Iceland (Image: Petr Šimon / Adobe Stock)

The Arctic Tern, Sterna paradisaea is soaring at the glacier lake Jökulsárlón in Iceland

A tale of two seasons

27/10/2020 A tale of two seasons: climate drives winter migration in birds but not the return to breeding sites. Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research, Germany