Sektion

• • Microfacies and sedimentology: Study areas (most of them are funded projects): Germany, France, Asia such as Iran, Mongolia, Thailand, Vietnam.
  • Conodont biostratigraphy, conodont alteration and low grade metamorphic studies
  • Palaeobiogeography and absolute age dating (the latter one in cooperation with Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden)
  • Events in the Palaeozoic, of particular interest are the Frasne/Famenne boundary and the Devonian/Carboniferous boundary

  Co-leader International ICGP projects:

  IGCP 499 (2004–2008) “Devonian land-sea interaction: evolution of ecosystems and climate”
  IGCP 596 (2011–2015) “Climate change and biodiversity patterns in the Mid-Palaeozoic”
  IGCP 652 (2017–2022) “Reading geologic time in Paleozoic rocks: the need for an integrated stratigraphy”
  DAGGER: Devonian Anoxia, Geochemistry, Geochronology, and Extinction Research
  IGCP 700 (2020 – 2024) “Palaeozoic carbonate build-ups in Southeeast Asia”

  Editor of Special Volumes, Books, Special Issuesas result of the above projects:

  Hartenfels, S., Hartkopf-Fröder, Ch. and Königshof, P. (2022) The Rhenish Massif: More than 150 years of research in a Variscan mountain chain. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 102, 493-829. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-022-00546-y.

  Qie, W., Liang, K., Königshof, P. [eds.] (2019). Devonian palaeoecosystems and palaeoenvironments of South China. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 99, 1–142.

  Mottequin, B., Slavik, L. & Königshof, P. [eds.] (2017). Climate change and biodiversity patterns in the mid-Palaeozoic – Proceedings-Volume IGCP 596/SDS Meeting Brussels (2015). Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 97(3), 367–686.

  Becker, R.T., Königshof, P., Brett, C.E. [eds]. (2016). Devonian Climate, Seal Level and Evolutionary Events. Geological Society, London, Special Publication , 432, 1–481.

  Suttner, T.J., Kido, E., Königshof, P., Waters, J., Davis, L. & Messner, F. [eds.] (2016). Planet Earth – In Deep Time Palaeozoic Series: Devonian & Carboniferous (Schweizerbart`sche Verlagsbuchhandlung Stuttgart, Germany) 263pp (ISBN 978-3-510-65335-5)

  Brett, C.E., Schindler, E., Königshof, P., [eds.] (2011) Sea-level cyclicity, climate change, and bioevents in Middle Devonian marine and terrestrial environments. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 304 (1-2), 1–193. 

  Königshof, P. [ed.] (2009) Devonian Change: Case Studies in Palaeogeography and Palaeoecology. Editorial. Geological Society, London, Special Publication, 314, 1–298.

  Geopark: Dr. Peter Königshof is active on the geopark’s scientific advisory board (a) Lahn-Dill-Westerwald and  (b) Geopark Vogelsberg. Research takes place in cooperation with Hessisches Landesamt für Umwelt und Geologie (HLUG), Wiesbaden. (2001 – 2020).
   

  Other business:
  • Chaiman of the German International geoscience Programme (IGCP, 2006 – 2021).
  • Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Commision for UNESCO 2006 – 2020).
  • Head of the Publishing Division (Ressorts Verlags- und Publikationswesen)
  Editor-in-Chief:
  • 1998 – 2022: Editor-in-Chief „Abhandlungen der Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung“
  • 2009 – 2022: Editor-in-Chief: „Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments“ (Springer, Senckenberg)

• Conodont collection (mainly Palaeozoic conodonts)
• Microfacies/Sedimentology (preferably thin sections)
• Mesozoic collection (rocks from different areas in Germany: Solnhofener Plattenkalk, Rhön)
• Middle Devonian Collection: This collection essentially consists of stratigraphic and/or facial indicative rock samples, which were taken during the last century in the Eifel Mountains, Germany. This collection conserves important rock documents from the type area of the Eifelian Stage, which is internationally used as the first respectively oldest of two stages of the Middle Devonian (see German GSSP in the Eifel hills).
• Micropalaeontology

Micropalaeontology is a science concerned with microscopic animals and plants, mostly but not all less that 1mm in size, their morphology, taxonomy, palaeobiology, palaeoecology, distribution patterns, and application to understanding Earth History. The former sektion “Micopalaeontology” is since 2022 part of the section Historical Geology and Fazies for structural reasons. The head of the section is curator although he is not working on ostracods.

Many of the groups of microscopic animals and plants are alive today and micropalaeontologists are interested in the living forms in order to interpret the fossils. Most microfossil groups are simple, single cell, organisms that only rarely exceed 1mm in size and therefore require the use of optical and electron microscopes and other specialist techniques for their study. Research focuses on ostracods conodonts and spores & pollen (Palaeobotany, Palynology). Other microfossil groups are represented by large collections of, especially, foraminifera and otoliths.

Research is related to the whole Phanerozoic with special focus on the Mesozoic and the Tertiary. Accordingly, they are mainly connected to “Biodiversity and Earth System Dynamics”. For the Recent material there are also connections to “Biodiversity and Systematics”.

Königshof, P. (2025). Stromatoporoids. In: Amler et al. (2025). Important fossil groups of the Rhenish Massif. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 105(x), xxx–xxx.

Vodrážková, S., & Königshof, P. (2025). Tentaculitoids. In: Amler et al. (2025). Important fossil groups of the Rhenish Massif. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 105(x), xxx–xxx.

Tonarová, P., & Königshof, P. (2025). Scolecodonts. In: Amler et al. (2025). Important fossil groups of the Rhenish Massif. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 105(x), xxx–xxx.

Udchachon, M., Thassanapak, H., McKenzie, R., Burrett, C., Königshof, P., & Linnemann, U. (xxxx). Tectonic significance of zircons and reworked conodonts, Inthanon Terrane, Thailand.

Königshof, P., Jansen, U., Linnemann, U. and Mende, K., (2025). The Rhenish Massif. In: U. Linnemann [Ed.] The Variscan Orogen of Central Europe: Geodynamics – Geochronology – Geobiology (Springer Heidelberg, New York).

Königshof, P., and Hartenfels, S. (2025). Conodont research: An important tool applied to the Central European Variscides. In: U. Linnemann [Ed.] The Variscan Orogen of Central Europe: Geodynamics – Geochronology – Geobiology (Springer Heidelberg, New York).

Hartenfels, S., Hartkopf-Fröder, Ch. and Königshof, P. [Eds.] (2025). The Rhenish Massif: More than 150 years of research in a Variscan mountain chain, part II. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 104(3), xxx–xxx.

Stribrny, B., Korn, D., Königshof, P., Erbacher, J., and Blumenberg, M. (2024). Die Kupfererzlagerstätte Marsberg. Geologisches Jahrbuch, Reihe A 166, 88 pp. ISSN · 0044-2259.

Königshof, P., Carmichael, S., Waters, J., Waters J.W., Munkhjargal, A., Gonchigdorj, S., Crônier, C., Nazik, A., Duckett, K., Foronda, J., Zieger, J., and Linnemann, U. (2024). Devonian to Mississippian strata of the Shine Jinst region revisited: Facies development and stratigraphy in southern Mongolia (Gobi Altai Terrane).  Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-024-00608-3.

Sattari, E., Bahrami A., Königshof, P.,Vaziri-Moghaddam, H., and Taheri A. (2024). Biostratigraphy and facies around the D/C boundary interval of the Tuye-Darvar section, Eastern Alborz Range, NE Iran. Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana, 76 (1), A280224 /2024/. http://dx.doi.org/10.18268/BSGM2024v76n1a280224.

Königshof, P., Loos, S., and Rutkowski, J. (2023). Lithofacies variability and facies analysis of a Givetian reef in the southwestern Lahn Syncline (Rhenish Massif, Germany). Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-023-00585-z.

Königshof, P., and Flick, H. (2023). Fringing reef growth in the Mid-Devonian: An example from the southern Rhenish Massif, Germany. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-023-00591-1.

Lazreq, N., Bamoumen, H., Bouari, A., Soulaimani, A., and Königshof, P. (2023). New biostratigraphic evidence of Upper Devonian deposits by metamorphosed conodonts from Sidi Bou Othmane area of central Jebilet, Morocco and their palaeogeographic implications. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 205, 105007.

Bahrami, A., Königshof, P., Hartkopf-Fröder, Ch., and Kaiser, S. (2022). Conodont biostratigraphy of the Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous Chelcheli section, NE Shahrud (Eastern Alborz, North Iran). Paläontologische Zeitschrift, 96, 449–469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-021-00575-6. 

Hartenfels, S., Hartkopf-Fröder, Ch. and Königshof, P. [eds.] (2022) The Rhenish Massif: More than 150 years of research in a Variscan mountain chain. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 102, 493–502. 
 
Hartenfels, S., Hartkopf-Fröder, Ch. and Königshof, P. (2022) The Rhenish Massif: More than 150 years of research in a Variscan mountain chain. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 102, 493–829. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-022-00546-y.  
 
Herbig, H.G., Amler, M.R.W., Kauffmann, G., Königshof, P. and Nesbor, D. (2022) Obituary: Karl Peter Bender. Newsletter Subcommission on Devonian Stratigraphy (SDS), 37, 2–8.

Königshof, P. (2022) Editorial: Time to say “Goodbye”. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 102, 831–833. 

Parvizi, T., Bahrami, A., Königshof, P., and Kaiser, S. (2022). Conodont biostratigraphy of Upper Devonian-Lower Carboniferous deposits of eastern Alborz (Mighan section, NE Shahrud) – Palaeoworld, 31, 69–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2021.01.008.

Ta, H.P., Königshof, P., Ellwood, B.B., Luu, T.P.L., Nguyen, C.T., Huong Doan, D., and Munkhjargal, A. (2022). Facies, magnetic susceptibility and timing of the Late Devonian Frasnian/Famennian boundary interval (Xom Nha Formation, Central Vietnam). Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 102(1), 129–146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-021-00506-y.

 Van der Boon, A., Biggin, A., Thallner, D., Hounslow, M., Bono, R., Nawrocki, J., Wójcik, K., Paszkowski, M., Königshof, P., de Backer, T., Kabanov, P., Gouwy, S. and Vandenberg, R. (2022). A persistant non-uniformitarian paleomagnetic field in the Devonian? Earth-Science Reviews, 231 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104073. 

Crônier, C., Ariuntogos, M., Königshof, P., Waters, J., and Carmichael, S.K. (2021). Late Devonian (Famennian) phacopid trilobites from western Mongolia. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 101(3), 707–723. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-020-00449-w.

Königshof, P., Bahrami, A., and Kaiser, S.I. (2021). Devonian/Carboniferous Boundary sections in Iran. 101(2), In: M. Aretz & C. Corradini (Eds.) “Global review of the Devonian-Carboniferous Boundary”. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 101(2), 613–632 https://doi.org/10.007/s12549-020-0438-z (OA).

Lazreq, N., Königshof, P., Essaifi, A., Bouari, A., and Outigua, A. (2021). The Sharhlef Formation of the Draa Sfar – new biostratigraphic data based on metamorphosed conodonts. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 572, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110395.

Lu, J.F., Valenzuela-Rios, J.I., Königshof, P., Liao, J-C., Wang, Y., Qie, W-K., and Xu, H-H. (2021). Emsian (Lower Devonian) conodonts from the Daliantang Formation at Daliantang, southeastern Yunnan, China. Palaeoworld. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2020.11.003.

Munkhjargal, A., Königshof, P., Hartenfels, S., Jansen, U., Nazik, A., Carmichael, S.K., Waters, J.A., Gonchigdorj, S., Crônier, C., Ariunchimeg, Ya, Paschall, O., and Dombrowski, A. (2021). The Hushoot Shiveetiin gol section (Baruunhuurai Terrane): Sedimentology and facies from a Late Devonian island arc setting. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 101(3), 663–687. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-020-00445-0.

Munkhjargal, A., Königshof, P., Waters, J.A., Carmichael, S.K., Gonchigdorj, S., Thassanapak, H., Udchachon, M., and Sharav, D. (2021). The Mandalovoo–Gurvansayhan terranes in the Southern Gobi of Mongolia: new insights from the Bayankhoshuu Ruins section. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 101(3), 755–780. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-020-00471-y.(OA).

Nazik, A., Königshof, P., Ariuntogos, A., Waters, J.A., and Carmichael, S.K. (2021). Late Devonian ostracods from the Late Devonian Hushoot Shiveetiin gol section (Baruunhuurai Terrane, western Mongolia) and their palaeoenvironmental implication and palaeobiogeographic relationship. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 101(3), 689–706.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-020-00446-z.

Roelofs, B., Königshof, P., Trinajstic, K., and Munkhjargal, A. (2021). Vertebrate microremains from the Late Devonian (Famennian) of western Mongolia. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 101(3), 741–753. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-021-00503-1.

Sattari, E., Bahrami, A., Königshof, P., and Vaziri-Moghaddam, H. (2021). Late Devonian (Famennian) and Carboniferous (Mississippian-Pennsylvanian) conodonts from the Anarak section, central Iran. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 101(3), 781–802. https://doi.org/10.10007/s12549-020-00451-2. (OA).

Waters, J.A., Waters, J.W., Königshof, P., Carmichael, S.K., and Ariuntogos, M. (2021). Famennian crinoids and blastoids (Echinodermata) from Mongolia. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 101(3), 725–740. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-020-00450-3.

Cabral, M.C., Lord, A.R., Pinto, S., Duarte, L.V. and Azerêdo, A.-C. (2020). Ostracods of the Toarcian (Jurasssic) of Peniche, Portugal: taxonomy and evolution across and beyond the GSSP interval. Bulletin of Geosciences, 95: 243–278.

Königshof, P. (2020) 100 years of Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 100(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-020-00421-8.

Lord, A.R., Cabral, M.C. and Danielopol, D.L. (2020) Sieve-type normal pore canals in Jurassic ostracods: A review with description of a new genus. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 65: 313–349.

Lord, A.R. (2020). Towards objectivity in Ostracoda species definition or: Ostracod taxonomy and the ‚Bean Problem‘. BSGF – Earth Sciences Bulletin, 191: 27 (6 pages).

Lu, J.F., and Königshof, P. (2020). Eifelian (Middle Devonian) species of Bipennatus from the Beiliu Formation at Nalai, South China. Palaeoworld. 29(4), 682–694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2019.12.002.

Lu, J.F., and Königshof, P. (2020). Morphometric patterns of the shelf-like protuberance in the Late Emsian-early Eifelian polygnathid conodonts. Lethaia 53(3), 345–361. https://doi.org/10.1111/let.12361.