CV of PD Dr. Mirjam Knörnschild
Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research, Germany
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Barro Colorado Island, República de Panama
Animal Behavior Lab, Free University Berlin, Germany
mirjam.knoernschild@mfn.berlin
Academic Positions
2020 – present: Head of Behavioral Ecology and Bioacoustics Lab), Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Germany.
2015 – 2020: Heisenberg Fellow, Group Leader (Knörnschild Lab), Free University Berlin, Germany.
2014 – present: Research Associate of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama.
2014 – 2015: Group Leader at the Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics (former Institute of Experimental Ecology), Ulm University, Germany.
2012 / 2013: Maternity leave (from November 2012 to December 2013).
2009 – 2012: Postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Experimental Ecology (now Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics), Ulm University, Germany.
Academic and Educational Background
2013: Habilitation, Venia legendi for Zoology & Ecology at Ulm University, Germany. Title: Vocal Communication and Social Behavior in Bats. Mentors: Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Kalko (deceased), Prof. Dr. Manfred Ayasse, Prof. Dr. Harald Wolf.
2005 – 2009: Dissertation in Zoology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. Thesis title: Vocal Repertoire Ontogeny in Saccopteryx bilineata. Advisor: Prof. Dr. Otto von Helversen. Grade: summa cum laude (highest distinction).
1999 – 2005: Diploma in Biology, University of Oldenburg, Germany. Thesis title: Male Territorial Song in the Sac-Winged Bat (Saccopteryx bilineata). Advisors: Prof. Dr. Georg Klump, Prof. Dr. Otto von Helversen. Grade: 1.0 (highest distinction).
1998: Abitur (university entrance qualification), Graf-Münster Gymnasium Bayreuth, Germany. Grade: 1.0 (highest distinction).
Grants
[5] 2019 – 2024: Culture as an evolutionary force – Does song learning accelerate speciation in a bat ring species?
Principal Investigator. ERC Starting Grant (CULTSONG).
[4] 2015 – 2018: Phonological Syntax in Bat Vocalizations – A Biolinguistic Approach.
Principal Investigator. German Research Foundation (DFG; KN 935/4-1).
[3] 2014 – 2016: Do bats sing in their sleep?
Co-Principal Investigator. Baden-Württemberg Foundation, Program for Interdisciplinary Cooperation of Postdoctoral Fellows. In cooperation with Dr. Karsten Rauss, Institute for Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
[2] 2012 – 2014: Evolution and Adaptive Significance of Vocal Learning in Bats.
Principal Investigator. Baden-Württemberg Foundation, Elite Program for Postdoctoral Fellows.
[1] 2010 – 2011: Vocal Learning as Mechanism for Cultural Transmission – Dialects in Bats.
Principal Investigator. Ulm University, Start-up Grant for Young Post-Docs.
Fellow- and Scholarships
[3] 2015 – 2020: Heisenberg Fellowship (Communication and Cognition in Bats)
German Research Foundation (DFG; KN935/3-1, KN935/5-1).
[2] 2005 – 2008: Scholarship for Dissertation degree.
German Merit Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes).
[1] 1999 – 2005: Scholarship for Diploma degree.
Bavarian Merit Foundation (Bayerische Hochbegabtenförderung).
Awards
[3] 2015: Walther-Arndt Award (Habilitation Award) from the German Zoological Society (Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft, DZG).
[2] 2011: Affirmative Action for Women Award from Ulm University, Germany.
[1] 2010: Fritz-Frank-Award (Dissertation Award) from the German Society for Mammalian Biology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Säugetierkunde).
Publications
Google Scholar Citation Profile: h-Index: 25, i10-Index: 39
For a complete list of publications, please see this page.
Academic Services
Editorial Activity: Editorial Board Member at Scientific Data, Nature Publishing Group, Springer (2017 – present), Associate Editor for Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology (2016 – present), Review Editor for Social Evolution, a section of Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (2016 – present).
Grant Reviewing: German Research Foundation (DFG), European Research Council (ERC), Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), National Science Centre Poland (NCN), U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF).
Journal Reviewing: Nature Communications, PLOS Biology, Science Advances, Scientific Reports, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Biology Letters, American Naturalist, Behavioural Ecology, Animal Behaviour, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Royal Society Open Science, Ethology, BMC Ecology, Animal Cognition, Behavior Genetics, Frontiers in Zoology, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, PLOS One, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Journal of Mammalogy, Acta Chiropterologica, Acta Theriologica, and Folia Zoologica.
Administrative Activities
2016 – present: Speaker for the section Behavioral Biology of the German Zoological Society (Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft, DZG).
2010 – present: Committee member in the German Merit Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes) for the selection of new fellows..
2010 / 2013: Symposium organization for international conferences (16th International Bat Research Conference in Costa Rica and 15th International Bat Research Conference in the Czech Republic).
Scientific Membership
Animal Behavior Society, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, German Society for Ethology, German Society for Zoology, German Society for Mammalian Biology, German Society for Tropical Ecology.
Teaching Experience
I have conducted various research labs, seminars, lectures, and field excursions from 2009 – 2015.
2009 – 2014: Participation in advanced training seminars in didactics (‘Hochschuldidaktik-Zertifikat’ Baden-Württemberg; Module 1 & 2 completed).
2013: Habilitation, Venia legendi for Zoology & Ecology at Ulm University, Germany.
2013 – present: Supervision of 4 Ph.D. theses, 2 M.Sc. theses, 3 M.Ed. theses, and 4 B.Sc. theses at Ulm University and Free University Berlin, Germany.
2008 – 2012: Co-supervision of 2 M.Sc. theses, 3 M.Ed. theses, and 7 B.Sc. theses at Ulm University and University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
2015 – present: Mentor for two students at the University of Potsdam, Germany (Mentoring Plus Program, Potsdam Graduate School).
2006 – 2008: Mentor in the REU Program (Research Experience for Undergraduates) of the National Science Foundation (NSF, USA) in Costa Rica.
Selected Invited Seminars
Knörnschild (2019) Social and vocal complexity in bats – a virtuous circle. Invitation from Prof. Dr. Susanne Dobler, University of Hamburg, Germany.
Knörnschild (2018) Acoustic communication in bats – from simple calls to complex songs. Invitation from Prof. Dr. Klaus Zuberbühler, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
Knörnschild (2017) Evolution of social vocalizations in mammals. Phylogenetic Symposium. Invitation from Prof. Dr. Nadia Fröbisch, MfN Berlin, Germany.
Knörnschild (2017) Acoustic communication and vocal learning in bats. Invitation from Prof. Dr. Gerald Kerth, University of Greifswald, Germany
Knörnschild & Scharff (2016) Genes relevant for vocal learning, speech, and language: insights from animal models. Language in Interaction Consortium, Summer School ‘Human Language: From Genes and Brains to Behavior’. Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Knörnschild (2015) Sexually selected signals in bats – causes and consequences of cultural transmission. Invitation from Dr. Anette Denzinger, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Knörnschild (2015) Cultural transmission of sexually selected signals in bats. Invitation from Prof. Dr. Klaus Reinhold, University of Bielefeld, Germany.
Knörnschild (2014) Social and vocal complexity in bats – a virtuous circle. Invited Tupper Talk at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamay.
Knörnschild (2014) Social learning of communication and foraging behavior in bats. Invitation from Prof. Dr. Gerhard von der Emde, University of Bonn, Germany.
Knörnschild M (2014) Social communication and vocal learning in bats. Invitation from Karsten Rauss, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Knörnschild M (2013) Social communication and vocal learning in the bat Saccopteryx bilineata. Invitation from Nicolas Fasel, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Knörnschild M (2012) Bat social interactions. Invitation from CEBIO Peru (Centro de Ecología y Biodiversidad en Peru), Cento de Investigación Jenaro Herrera, IIAP Iquitos, Peru.
Knörnschild M (2012) Social communication in Saccopteryx bilineata. Invitation from Dr. Alice Edler, EES Graduate Program, LMU Munich, Germany.
Knörnschild M (2011) Vocal production learning in bats. Invitation from Prof. Dr. Katharina Förster, Institute for Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Knörnschild M, Nagy M, von Helversen O (2010) Vocal learning in bats – the case study Saccopteryx bilineata. Invitation from Prof. Dr. Constanze Scharff, Behavioral Biology Lab, Institute for Biology, FU Berlin, Germany.
Knörnschild M, Nagy M, von Helversen O (2009) Different forms of vocal learning in a bat. Invitation from Prof. Dr. Peter Slater, Behaviour Discussion Group, School of Biology, University St. Andrews, Scotland.
Knörnschild M, von Helversen O (2008) Mother-pup communication and vocal repertoire ontogeny in the sac-winged bat, Saccopteryx bilineata. Invitation from PD Dr. Björn Siemers, Sensory Ecology Lab, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.
Selected Conference Presentations
Knörnschild (2018) Vocal communication and cognition in bats. Evolution of Sensation Symposium (GOEvol), Göttingen, Germany. Plenary talk.
Knörnschild (2018) Individual recognition of distressed social group members in bats. 13th Annual Meeting of the Ethological Society, Potsdam, Germany.
Knörnschild (2017) Vocal production learning in Saccopteryx bilineata. 5th International Bat Meeting, Berlin, Germany. Invited talk.
Knörnschild (2016) Vocal production learning in bats – a perspective from behavioral ecology. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, San Diego, USA. Invited talk.
Knörnschild (2016) Individual recognition in wild bats – evidence from a playback experiment with a violation-of-expectation paradigm. 109th Annual Meeting of the German Zoological Society (DZG), Kiel, Germany.
Knörnschild (2015) Acoustically mediated natal dispersal in the polygynous bat Saccopteryx bilineata. 4th International Bat Meeting, Berlin, Germany.
Knörnschild (2015) Male song facilitates the natal dispersal of females in a polygynous bat. 7th Topical Meeting of the Ethological Society, Hamburg,Germany.
Knörnschild M (2015) Acoustically mediated natal dispersal in the polygynous bat Saccopteryx bilineata. German Bat Researcher Meeting, Olpe, Germany.
Knörnschild (2014) Social influences on the foraging behavior of Neotropical nectar-feeding bats (Glossophaga soricina). 107th DZG Meeting, Göttingen, Germany.
Knörnschild (2014) Receivers matter: Sex-specific responses to alert calls in nectar-feeding bats (Glossophaga soricina). 7th European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Prague, Czech Republic.
Knörnschild (2014) Vocal signatures facilitate bat communication. 6th Topical Meeting of the Ethological Society, Tutzing, Germany.
Knörnschild M, Nagy M, Metz M, Eckenweber M, Klopsch S, Mayer F (2013) Culturally transmitted dialects in a polygynous bat. 106th DZG Meeting, Munich, Germany.
Knörnschild M, Nagy M, Metz M, Eckenweber M, Klopsch S, Mayer F (2013) Distinct regional dialects in a vocal learning bat. German Bat Researcher Meeting, Reuttlingen, Germany.
Knörnschild M, Nagy M, Metz M, Eckenweber M, Klopsch S, Mayer F (2012) Distinct regional dialects in a vocal learning bat. 6th European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Essen, Germany.
Knörnschild M (2012) Vocal communication in Saccopteryx bilineata. Simposio Peruano de Murciélagos 2012, Lima, Peru. Plenary Speaker.
Knörnschild M (2011) Vocal signatures in Saccopteryx bilineata – Insights from a vocal learning bat. XXIII. Meeting of the International Bioacoustics Council (IBAC), La Rochelle, France. Invited Talk.
Knörnschild M, Jung K, Kalko EKV (2011) Communication on the wing: vocal signatures in echolocation calls of the greater sac-winged bat. 3rd Symposium Acoustic Communication by Animals (ACA), Cornell University, Ithaca, USA.
Knörnschild M, Behler C, Tschapka M (2011) Vocal communication in Glossophaga soricina – Alert calls and territoriality. German Bat Researcher Meeting, Loccum, Germany.
Knörnschild M, Nagy M, Mayer F, von Helversen O (2010) Learned vocal group signatures in a polygynous bat (Poster). 85th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Mammalian Biology (DGS), Berlin, Germany.
Knörnschild M, Nagy M, Mayer F, von Helversen O (2010) Learned vocal group signatures in a polygynous bat. 15th International Bat Research Conference (IBRC), Prag, Czech Republic.
Knörnschild M, Nagy M (2010) Learned vocal group signatures in a polygynous bat. 5th Topical Meeting of the Ethological Society (Communication Meeting), Berlin, Germany.
Knörnschild M, Nagy M, von Helversen O (2009) Vocal learning in a bat (Poster). 1st Joint Meeting of ATBC (Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation) and GTÖ (Society for Tropical Ecology), Marburg, Germany.
Knörnschild M, Nagy M, von Helversen O (2008) Vocal repertoire ontogeny in the bat Saccopteryx bilineata – evidence for vocal learning. 2nd Symposium Acoustic Communication by Animals (ACA), Corvallis, USA.
Knörnschild M, von Helversen O (2007) Isolation calls and their role during vocal repertoire ontogeny in the greater sac-winged bat, Saccopteryx bilineata. 14th International Bat Research Conference (IBRC) and 37th North American Symposium on Bat Research (NASBR), Merída, Mexiko. Invited Talk.
Knörnschild M, von Helversen O (2007) Emotional prosody in social vocalizations of the greater sac-winged bat, Saccopteryx bilineata. International Symposium on the Evolution of Emotional Communication (EEC), Hannover, Germany.
Knörnschild M, von Helversen O (2007) When twins sound alike – isolation call variation in the Noctule Bat, Nyctalus noctula. Graduate Meeting of the German Zoological Society Group Behavioral Ecology, Göttingen, Germany.
Selected Press Coverage
• PNAS Feature, 05.09.2017: ‘Singing in the brain’ (by Helen Shen)
• Nature News, Nature, 19.09.2016: ‘Geneticists hope to unlock secrets of bats’ sounds’ (by Ramin Skibba)
• Science Shots, Science, 25.09.2015: Video ‘Bat’s tongue baffles researchers’ (by Hanae Armitage)
• Nature News, Nature, 25.09.2015: Video ‘Bat drinks using ‘tongue-pump’ trick’ (by Emma Brown)
• Magazine ‘Der Spiegel’, Vol. 38, pp. 128-139, 16.09.2014: ‘Nachtjägers Liebeslied’ (by Philip Bethge)
• Science Feature, Vol. 344, Issue 6190, pp. 1334-1337, 20.06.2014: ‘When the bat sings’ (by Virginia Morell)
• Nature Research Highlights, Vol. 490, p. 147, 11.10.2012: ‘Echolocation for communication’
• Science Shots, Science, 02.10.2012: ‘A Bat’s Sexy Sound’
• Discovery Channel News: 03.10.2012: ‘Bats think about sex – a lot’
• TV Interview (SWR): European Bat Night, 26.08.2011
• Nature Journal Club, Vol. 466, p.163, 08.07.2010
• Radio Interview (Deutschlandradio) Forschung Aktuell, 23.12.2009: ‘Das Babbeln der Fledermäuse’
• Radio Interview (Bayern 2, SWR2)
• Radio Interview (SWR4), 3.11.2009: ‘Nachgehört – Fledermäuse lernen sprechen’
• Nature Research Highlights, Vol. 461, p. 850, 15.10.2009: ‘Copy bat’
• Science Now, 07.10.2009: ‘Baby bats imitate dad’s songs’
• National Geographic News, 14.12.2008: ‘Male Bats Blast Rivals With Deep Calls’
• Discovery Channel News: 31.10.2007: ‘Bats speak language of their own’
• National Geographic News, 14.08.2006: ‘Baby bats babble like human infants’
• Live Science, 09.08.2006: ‘Baby bats babble like human infants’
• Science News, Vol. 170(5), 29.07.2006: ‘Do pups talk baby talk as human infants do?’
• New Scientist, 29.07.2006: ‘Baby bats babble too’
Personal Information
• Date of birth: 12/04/1978
• Citizenship: German