PD Dr. Timo Thünken

Current lab members (2023)

Previous lab members

• Dr. Denis Meuthen (DFG Rückkehrstipendiat)
• Barbara Schiffer (Master OEP, 2019 Oct)
• Leonie John (Master OEP, 2019 Sep)
• Melissa Karthe (Bachelor Biology, 2019 Sep)
• Janosch Diederich (Bachelor Biology, 2019 Sep)
• Sophia Fiegel (Bachelor Biology, 2019 Sep)
• Jenny Hiller (Master of Education, 2019 Jan)

• Ndubuisi Durueke (Master OEP, 2018 Oct)
• Rieke Schons (Bachelor Biology, 2018 Sep)
• Christine Jakubassa (Bachelor Biology, 2018 Sep)
• Natalie Kurtys (Bachelor Biology, 2018 Sep)

• Meike Kurth (Master OEP, 2017 Jun)
• Tamara Gademann (Bachelor Biology, 2017 Aug)
• Tina Jung (Bachelor Biology, 2017 Sep)

• Dr. Ingolf Rick, University of Bonn
• PD Dr. Joachim Frommen, Metropolitan University of Manchester (UK)
• Dr. Julia Schwarzer, ZFMK, Bonn
• PD Dr. Fabian Herder, ZFMK, Bonn
• Dr. Astrid Boehne, ZFMK, Bonn
• Dr. Ulrike Scherer, Universität Hamburg
• Dr. Alexander Kotrschal, University of Wageningen (NL)
  

Böhne, A., Oğuzhan, Z., Vitt, S., Meuthen, D., Martin, S., Kukowa, S. & Thünken, T. Evidence for selfing in a vertebrate from whole-genome sequencing. Genome Research,	in revision
Thünken, T., Frommen, J.G., Baldauf, S.A., Schons, R.F., Karthe, M.J. & Vitt, S. Ecology of sexual conflict over care: Environmental variation and relatedness affect parental cooperation in a biparental cichlid fish. Communications Biology	in revision
Thünken, T., Vitt, S. & Diederich, J. Genetic relatedness promotes parental cooperation in a biparental cichlid fish. Evolution,	resubmitted
Vitt, S., Jakubassa, C.F., Baldauf, S. & Thünken, T. Context-specific responses of a cichlid fish to computer-animated images presented on a tablet-computer. Manuscript ready for re-submission.
Gussone, L., Hüllen, A., Vitt, S., Scherer, U. & Thünken, T. (2023) Imapct of genetic relatedness on reproductive behaviour in Pelvicachromis pulcher, a biparental cichlid fish with mutual choice and ornamentation. The Science of Nature 110:17.	pdf upon request
Vitt, S., Schons, R.F., Keller, A.J.R. & Thünken, T. (2023) Inbreeding affects juvenile shoaling behaviour in sibling groups of a cichlid fish. Hydrobiologia 850: 2393-2404.	pdf upon request
Vitt, S., Bakowski, C.E. & Thünken, T. (2022) Sex-specific effects of inbreeding on body colouration and physiological colour change in the cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus. BMC Ecology and Evolution 22: 124.	pdf upon request
Madge Pimentel, I., Vitt, S.& Thünken, T. (2022) Impact of genetic relatedness and food competition on female dominance hierarchies in a cichlid fish. Animal Behaviour 184: 55-70.	pdf upon request
Schons, R.F., Vitt, S. & Thünken, T. (2022) Resource heterogeneity but not inbreeding affect growth and grouping behaviour in socially foraging juvenile cichlid fish. Functional Ecology, 36: 550-560.	pdf upon request
Frommen, J.G., Thünken, T., Santostefano, F., Balzarini, V. & Hettyey, A. (2022) Effects of chronic and acute predation risk on sexual ornamentation and mating preferences. Behavioral Ecology, 33: 7-16.	pdf upon request
Schons, R.F., Vitt, S. &  Thünken, T. (2021) Environmental habituation and sexual composition affect juveniles' shoaling activity in a cichlid fish (Pelvicachromis taeniatus). Journal of Fish Biology, 99:1307-1317.	pdf upon request
Freudiger, A., Josi, D., Thünken, T., Herder, F., Flury, J.M., Marques, D.A., Taborsky, M. & Frommen, J.G. (2021) Ecological variation drives morphological differentiation in a highly social vertebrate. Functional Ecology, 35: 2266-2281.	pdf upon request
John, L., Rick I.P., Vitt, S. & Thünken, T. (2021) Body coloration as a dynamic signal during intrasexual communication in a cichlid fish. BMC Zoology 6, 9.	pdf upon request
Meuthen, D., Meuthen, I., Bakker T.C.M. & Thünken, T. (2020). Anticipatory plastic response of the cellular immune system in the face of future injury: Chronic high perceived predation risk induces lymphocytosis in a cichlid fish. Oecologia 194: 597-607.	pdf upon request
Vitt, S., Hiller, J. & Thünken, T. (2020). Intrasexual selection: Kin competition increases male-male territorial aggression in a monogamous cichlid fish. Ecol. Evol. 10: 11183-11191.	pdf upon request
Vitt, S., Madge Pimentel, I. & Thünken, T. (2020). Presence of same-sex kin promotes explorative behavior in subadult cichlid fish. Behav. Ecol. 31:731-738.	pdf upon request
Thünken, T., Hesse, S. &  Meuthen, D. (2020). Increased levels of perceived competition decrease juvenile kin-shoaling preferences in a cichlid fish. Am. Nat. 195: 868 - 875.	pdf upon request
Meuthen, D., Baldauf, S.A., Bakker T.C.M. & Thünken, T. (2019). High perceived predation risk during development affects mutual mate choice in a cichlid fish. Anim. Behav. 158: 227-237.	pdf upon request
Meuthen, D., Bakker T.C.M. & Thünken, T. (2019) Predatory developmental environments shape loser behaviour in animal contests. Behaviour 156: 1519–1532.	pdf upon request
Hesse, S., Sandmann, S., Bakker, T.C.M. & Thünken, T. (2019). Impact of social rearing-environment on performance in a complex maze in females of a cichlid fish. Behav. Process. 167: 103915.	pdf upon request
Thünken, T., Baldauf, S.A., Bersau, N., Frommen, J.G. & Bakker, T.C.M. (2019). Parasite-induced colour alteration of intermediate hosts increases ingestion by suitable final host species. Behaviour 156: 1329–1348.	pdf upon request
Langen, K, Thünken, T., Klemm, J, Sandmann, S. & Bakker, T.C.M. (2019). Sperm size is negatively related to relative testis size in West African riverine cichlid fishes. Sci. Nat. 106: 30.	pdf upon request
Thünken, T., Rick, I. P., & Frommen, J.G. (2018). Contributions in honour of Theo CM Bakker: Testing, not guessing. Evol. Ecol. Res. 19: 477-486.	pdf upon request
Meuthen, D., Flege, P., Brandt, R., & Thünken, T. (2018). The location of damage-released alarm cues in a cichlid fish. Evol. Ecol. Res. 19: 517-527.	pdf upon request
Thünken, T., Vitt, S., Baldauf, S.A., Jung, T., & Frommen, J.G. (2018). Individual behavioural responses of an intermediate host to a manipulative acanthocephalan parasite and the effects of intra-specific parasite competition. Evol. Ecol. Res. 19: 487-501.	pdf upon request
Mehlis-Rick, M., Thünken, T., Krings, M., Käfer, S., & Rick, I. P. (2018). Cerebral lateralization and quantity discrimination abilities in the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Evol. Ecol. Res. 19: 477-486.	pdf upon request
Meuthen, D., Baldauf, S. A., Bakker, T. C. M. & Thünken, T. (2018). Neglected patterns of variation in phenotypic plasticity: Age- and sex-specific antipredator plasticity in a cichlid fish. Am. Nat.191: 475-590.	pdf upon request
Langen, K., Bakker, T. C. M., Baldauf, S.A., Shrestha, J. & Thünken, T. (2017). Effects of aging and inbreeding on the reproductive traits in a cichlid fish I: the male perspective. Biol. J. Linn. Soc.120: 752-761.	pdf upon request
Langen, K., Bakker, T. C. M., Baldauf, S.A., Shrestha, J. & Thünken, T. (2017). Effects of aging and inbreeding on the reproductive traits in a cichlid fish II: the female perspective. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 120: 762-770.	pdf upon request
Bakker, T. C. M., Frommen, J. G. & Thünken, T. (2017). Adaptive parasitic manipulation as exemplified by acanthocephalans. Ethology 123: 779-784.	pdf upon request
Meuthen, D., Baldauf S. A., Bakker, T. C. M. & Thünken, T. (2016). Conspecific alarm cues affect interspecific aggression in cichlid fishes. Hydrobiologia 767: 37-49.	pdf upon request
Hesse, S., Bakker, T. C. M., Baldauf, S. A. & Thünken, T. (2016). Impact of social environment on inter- and intra-sexual selection in a cichlid fish with mutual mate choice. Anim. Behav. 111: 85-92.	pdf upon request
Thünken, T., Hesse, S., Bakker, T. C. M. & Baldauf, S. A. (2016). Benefits of kin shoaling in a cichlid fish: familiar and related juveniles show better growth. Behav. Ecol. 27: 419-425.	pdf upon request
Meuthen, D., Baldauf S. A., Bakker, T. C. M. & Thünken, T. (2016). Predator-induced neophobia in juvenile cichlids. Oecologia 181: 947-958.	pdf upon request
Hesse, S., Anaya-Rojas J. M., Frommen, J. G. & Thünken, T. (2015). Kinship reinforces cooperative predator inspection in a cichlid fish. J. Evol. Biol. 28: 2088–2096.	pdf upon request
Frommen, J. G., Hanak, S., Schmidl, C. A. & Thünken, T. (2015). Visible Implant Elastomer tagging influences social preferences of zebrafish (Danio rerio). Behaviour 152: 1765–1777.	pdf upon request
Mehlis, M., Thünken, T., Bakker, T. C. M. & Frommen, J. G. (2015). Quantification acuity in spontaneous shoaling decisions of three-spined sticklebacks. Anim. Cogn. 18: 1125-1131.	pdf upon request
Hesse, S., Anaya-Rojas, J. M., Frommen, J. G. & Thünken, T. (2015). Social deprivation affects cooperative predator inspection in a cichlid fish. Roy. Soc. Open Sci. 2: 140451.	open access
Hesse, S. & Thünken, T. (2014). Growth and social behavior in a cichlid fish are affected by social rearing environment and kinship. Naturwissenschaften 101: 273–283.	Download
Thünken, T., Eigster, M. & Frommen, J. G. (2014). Context-dependent group size preferences in large shoals of three-spined stickleback. Anim. Behav. 90: 205-210.	Download
Thünken, T., Bakker, T. C. M. & Baldauf, S. A. (2014). “Armpit effect” in an African cichlid fish: self-referent kin recognition in mating decisions of male Pelvicachromis taeniatus. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 68: 99-104.	Download
Langen, K., Thünken, T. & Bakker, T. C. M. (2013). No experimental evidence for sneaking behaviour in a West African cichlid with extremely long sperm. Int. J. Evol. Biol. 2013: 714304.	open access
Baldauf, S. A., Engqvist, L., Ottenheym, T., Bakker, T. C. M. & Thünken, T. (2013). Sex-specific conditional mating preferences in a cichlid fish: implications for sexual conflict. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 67: 1179-1186.	Download
Meuthen, D., Rick, I.P., Thünken, T. & Baldauf S. A. (2012). Visual prey detection by near-infrared cues in a fish. Naturwissenschaften 99: 1063-1066.	Download
Meuthen, D., Baldauf S. A. & Thünken, T. (2012). Evolution of alarm cues: a role for kin selection?. F1000 Research 1: 27.	open access
Hesse, S., Bakker, T. C. M., Baldauf, S. A. & Thünken, T. (2012). Kin recognition by phenotype matching is family-rather than self-referential in juvenile cichlid fish. Anim. Behav. 84: 451-457.	Download
Thünken, T., Meuthen, D., Bakker, T. C. M. & Baldauf, S. A. (2012). A sex-specific trade-off between mating preferences for genetic compatibility and body size in a cichlid fish with mutual mate choice. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. 279: 2959-2964.	Download
Langen, K., Schwarzer, J., Kullmann, H., Bakker, T. C. M. & Thünken, T. (2011). Microsatellite support for active inbreeding in a cichlid fish. PLoS One 6: e24689.	open access
Meuthen, D., Baldauf, S. A., Bakker, T. C. M. & Thünken, T. (2011). Substrate-treated water: A method to enhance fish activity in laboratory experiments. Aquatic Biol. 13: 35-40.	Download
Baldauf, S. A., Kullmann, H., Bakker, T. C. M. & Thünken, T. (2011). Female nuptial coloration and its adaptive significance in a mutual mate choice system. Beh. Ecol. 22: 478-485.	Download
Thünken, T., Baldauf, S. A., Kullmann, H., Schuld, J., Hesse, S. & Bakker, T. C. M. (2011). Size-related inbreeding preference and competitiveness in male Pelvicachromis taeniatus (Cichlidae). Beh. Ecol. 22: 358–362.	Download
Frommen, J. G. , Herder, F., Engqvist, L., Mehlis, M., Bakker, T. C. M., Schwarzer, J. & Thünken, T. (2011). Costly plastic morphological responses to predator specific odour cues in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Evol. Ecol. 25: 641-656.	Download
Baldauf, S. A., Bakker, T. C. M., Herder, F., Kullmann, H. & Thünken, T. (2010). Male mate choice scales female ornament allometry in a cichlid fish. BMC Evol. Biol. 10: 301.	Download
Thünken, T., Baldauf, S. A., Bersau, N., Bakker, T. C. M., Kullmann, H. & Frommen, J. G. (2010). Impact of olfactory non-host predator cues on aggregation behaviour and activity in Polymorphus minutus infected Gammarus pulex. Hydrobiologia 654: 137-145.	Download
Thünken, T., Meuthen, D., Bakker, T. C. M. & Kullmann, H. (2010). Parental investment in relation to offspring quality in the biparental cichlid fish, Pelvicachromis taeniatus. Anim. Behav. 80: 69-74.	Download
Baldauf, S. A., Kullmann, H., Schroth, S. H., Thünken, T. & Bakker, T. C. M. (2009). You can't always get what you want: size assortative mating by mutual mate choice as a resolution of sexual conflict. BMC Evol. Biol. 9: 129.	Download
Baldauf, S. A., Kullmann, H., Thünken, T., Winter, S. & Bakker, T. C. M. (2009). Computer animation as a tool to study preferences in the cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus. J. Fish Biol. 75: 738–746.	Download
Thünken, T., Bakker, T. C. M., Waltschyk, N. & Kullmann, H. (2009). Olfactory self-recognition in a cichlid fish. Anim. Cogn. 12: 717-724.	Download
Kullmann, H., Thünken, T., Baldauf, S. A., Bakker, T. C. M. & Frommen, J. G. (2008). Fish odour triggers conspecific attraction behavior in an aquatic invertebrate. Biol. Lett. 4: 458-460.	Download
Thünken, T., Bakker, T. C. M., Baldauf, S.A. & Kullmann, H. (2007). Direct familiarity does not alter mating preferences for sisters in male Pelvicachromis taeniatus (Cichlidae). Ethology 113: 1107-1112.	Download
Thünken, T., Bakker, T. C. M. & Kullmann, H. (2007). Extraordinarily long sperm in the socially monogamous cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus. Naturwissenschaften 94: 489-491.	Download
Thünken, T., Bakker, T. C. M., Baldauf, S. A. & Kullmann, H. (2007). Active inbreeding in a cichlid fish and its adaptive significance. Curr. Biol. 17: 225-229.	Download
Baldauf, S. A., Thünken, T., Frommen, J. G., Bakker, T. C. M., Heupel, O. & Kullmann, H. (2007). Infection with an acanthocephalan manipulates an amphipod's reaction to a fish predator's odours. Int. J. Parasitol. 37: 61-65.	Download