Our research and teaching are deeply rooted in organismal biology, i.e. the study of structure, function, and evolution at the level of the organism. We focus on questions of plant diversity – How have key structural features such as the angiosperm flower evolved? How is morphological diversity distributed among taxa? How are different structural features correlated with one another? Why are certain morphologies common and have evolved repeatedly while others are rare? We address these and related questions across a broad range of taxa and apply state-of-the art techniques as well as novel theoretical approaches to answer them.
News
- Press release University of Vienna:
Bumble bees pollinated linden flowers already 24 million years ago – 22. September 2025 - scilog-Article Austrian Science Fund (FWF) (german):
Wie Tropenpflanzen zu ihren Bestäubern finden – 18. October 2023 - Online-Article mediaportal University of Vienna (german):
ERC Starting Grant für Agnes Dellinger – 5. September 2023
Recent Publications 2023-2026
2026
Till, A., Ulrich, S., Cantrill, D. J., & Grimsson, F. (2026). Pollen morphology of Pseudanthus (Picrodendraceae). Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 344, Article 105426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105426
Ulrich, S., Purgina, C., Bouchal, J. M., Geier, C., & Grimsson, F. (2026). The use of transmission electron microscopy when investigating fossil angiosperm pollen: A review and suggestions for future applications. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 344, Article 105423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105423
2025
Geier, C., Engel, M. S., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Schönenberger, J., Uhl, D., Wappler, T., Wedmann, S., Boudet, L., & Grimsson, F. (2025). 24 million years of pollination interaction between European linden flowers and bumble bees. New Phytologist, 248(4), 2111-2127. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70531
Bouchal, J. M., Geier, C., Ulrich, S., Wilde, V., Lenz, O. K., Zetter, R., & Grimsson, F. (2025). Qualitative LM and SEM study of the Messel palynoflora: Part II. Fabales to Caryophyllales. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 341, Article 105349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105349
Geier, C., Ulrich, S., Bouchal, J. M., Zetter, R., Ngô Muller, V., Jacobs, B. F., Uhl, D., & Grimsson, F. (2025). Morphology and ultrastructure of Tilioideae pollen: how to differentiate Craigia, Mortoniodendron, and Tilia. Botanical studies, 66(1), Article 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40529-025-00463-1
Vieira, M., Jolley, D., Zetter, R., Mahdi, S., & Grimsson, F. (2025). Enhancing dinoflagellate cyst classification through combined LM and SEM analysis: A reassessment of Spiniferites magnificus and Fibradinium annetorpense. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 336, Article 105300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105300
Emelianova, K., Hawranek, A.-S., Eriksson, M. C., Wolfe, T. M., & Paun, O. (2025). Ecological divergence of sibling allopolyploid marsh orchids is associated with species specific plasticity and distinct fungal communities. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology, 121(4), Article e70001. https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70001
von Balthazar, M., Lachmayer, M., Hawranek, A.-S., Kopper, C., Schönenberger, J., & Chartier, M. (2025). Pollination and reproductive systems in columbines (Aquilegia, Ranunculaceae) - Review and insights. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 186(1), 38-52. https://doi.org/10.1086/733070
Chartier, M., Kopper, C., Münch, M., Messinger Carril, O., Díaz-Infante, S., Lachmayer, M., Ulrich, S., Wilson, J. S., Schönenberger, J., & von Balthazar, M. (2025). Pollination biology and secondary pollinators in seven North American Aquilegia species. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 186(1), 20-37. https://doi.org/10.1086/733068
Wang, M. Z., Belmonte-Lopes, R., Pan, T., Ahmed, S. A., Rodrigues Lustosa, B. P., Quan, Y., Al-Hatmi, A. M. S., Mayer, V., Voglmayr, H., Grisolia, M. E., de Souza Lima, B. B. J. F., Vicente, V. A., Zhou, S. Q., Cao, Y., Kang, Y. Q., & de Hoog, G. S. (2025). A new family of ant-associated fungi in Chaetothyriales. STUDIES IN MYCOLOGY, 110(1), 111-144. https://doi.org/10.3114/sim.2024.110.02
Heřmanová, Z., von Balthazar, M., Kvaček, J., & Schönenberger, J. (2025). Felinanthus: A New Normapolles Genus from the Late Cretaceous of Central Europe. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 186(1), 53-67. https://doi.org/10.1086/732627
Pan, A. D., Jacobs, B. F., Currano, E. D., Gostel, M. R., Lowry, II, P. P., Plunkett, G. M., Hoffmann, J., Geier, C., & Grimsson, F. (2025). Fossil Astropanax Seem. (Araliaceae) from the early Miocene (21.73 Mya) Mush Valley plant assemblages of Ethiopia. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 209(3), 280-302. Article boaf011. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boaf011
Malailkanok, P., Grimsson, F., Zetter, R., Grote, P. J., Denk, T., & Phuphumirat, W. (2025). Marked Ericales diversity in late Oligocene–Early Miocene palynofloras from northern Thailand suggests stratified mountain forests. Journal of Systematics and Evolution, n/a(n/a), Article jse.70010. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.70010
Kopper, C., Schönenberger, J., & Dellinger, A. S. (2025). Mountain colonization precedes shifts away from bee pollination in Melastomataceae. New Phytologist, 247(3), 1474-1492. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70273
Dirr, L., Bastl, K., Bastl, M., Berger, U. E., Bouchal, J. M., Kofol Seliger, A., Magyar, D., Ščevková, J., Szigeti, T., & Grimsson, F. (2025). The Ragweed Finder: A Citizen-Science Project to Inform Pollen Allergy Sufferers About Ambrosia artemisiifolia Populations in Austria. Applied Sciences, 15(22), Article 12333. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152212333
2024
Grimsson, F., Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Zetter, R., & Vieira, M. (2024). Fossil Hyaenanche Pollen from the Eocene of Kenya: The Paleophytogeograpy and Paleoclimate of a Relict Plant Genus Endemic to the Cape Province, South Africa. Biology, 13(12), Article 1079. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13121079
Purgina, C., Grimsson, F., Weber, M., & Ulrich, S. (2024). Pollen dispersal units of selected Orchidoideae and their morphological, ultrastructural, and chemical features. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 331, Article 105211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105211
Wuttke, M., Poschmann, M. J., Wappler, T., Bouchal, J. M., Geier, C., Ulrich, S., & Grimsson, F. (2024). Pollen-feeding in a giant pelobatid tadpole from the late Oligocene of Enspel, Germany. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 104(4), 999-1026. Article 104831. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-024-00603-8
Purgina, C., Grimsson, F., & Ulrich, S. (2024). Proximal aperture in Cephalanthera longifolia (L.) Fritsch (Orchidaceae) pollen: a rare germination site for angiosperms. Botanical studies, 65(1), Article 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40529-024-00439-7
Geier, C., Engel, M. S., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Grimsson, F., Wedmann, S., & Wappler, T. (2024). The earliest large carpenter bee (Xylocopa) and its adhering pollen (Araliaceae, Theaceae). Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 104(4), 949-962. Article s12549-024-00604-7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-024-00604-7
Sutthinon, P., Meesawat, U., Ulrich, S., & Schönenberger, J. (2024). Histochemical and ultrastructural analysis of tapetum and sporoderm development in relation to precocious pollenkitt production of Garcinia dulcis (Roxb.) Kurz. Protoplasma, 261(6), 1281-1295. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-024-01969-4
Barreto, E., Boehm, M. M. A., Ogutcen, E., Abrahamczyk, S., Kessler, M., Bascompte, J., Dellinger, A. S., Bello, C., Dehling, D. M., Duchenne, F., Kaehler, M., Lagomarsino, L. P., Lohmann, L. G., Maglianesi, M. A., Morlon, H., Muchhala, N., Ornelas, J. F., Perret, M., Salinas, N. R., ... Graham, C. H. (2024). Macroevolution of the plant–hummingbird pollination system. Biological Reviews, 99(5), 1831-1847. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.13094
Dirr, L., Bastl, K., Bastl, M., Bouchal, J. M., Berger, U. E., & Grimsson, F. (2024). Crowd-sourced-Symptomdaten bei Pollenallergie: Erprobung eines neuen Studiendesigns zur Bewertung der Wirksamkeit von Nahrungsergänzungsmitteln. Allergo Journal, 33(6), 39-49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s15007-024-6340-z
Dirr, L., Bastl, K., Bastl, M., Bouchal, J. M., Berger, U. E., & Grimsson, F. (2024). Crowd-sourced symptom data in pollen allergy: testing a novel study approach for assessing the efficacy of food supplements. Allergo Journal International, 33, 180-189. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40629-024-00283-y
Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Uhl, D., Wappler, T., Wedmann, S., Zetter, R., Schönenberger, J., & Grimsson, F. (2024). Potential pollinators and paleoecological aspects of Eocene Ludwigia (Onagraceae) from Eckfeld, Germany. Palaeoworld, 33(4), 1079-1104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2023.07.003
Kopper, C., Schönenberger, J., & Dellinger, A. S. (2024). High floral disparity without pollinator shifts in buzz-bee-pollinated Melastomataceae. New Phytologist, 242(5), 2322-2337. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19735
Reginato, M., Ordónez-Parra, C. A., Messeder, J. V. S., Brito, V. L. G., Dellinger, A., Kriebel, R., Marra, C., Melo, L., Cornelissen, T., Fuzessy, L., Sperotto, P., Calderón-Hernández, M., Guerra, T. J., Kopper, C., Mancipe-Murillo, C., Pizo, M. A., Posada-Herrera, J. M., Hasui, É., Silva, W. R., & Silveira, F. A. O. (2024). MelastomaTRAITs 1.0: A database of functional traits in Melastomataceae, a large pantropical angiosperm family. Ecology, 105(6), Article e4308. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4308
Helmstetter, A. J., Méndez, M., Schönenberger, J., Burgarella, C., Anderson, B., von Balthazar, M., Billiard, S., de Boer, H., Cros, J., Delecroix, P.-A., Dufay, M., Pannell, J. R., Bianchi, D. S., Schoen, D. J., Vallejo-Marin, M., Zenil-Ferguson, R., Sauquet, H., Glémin, S., & Käfer, J. (2024). Pollination and mating traits underlie diverse reproductive strategies in flowering plants. bioRxiv. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.26.582019
Dellinger, A. S., Lagomarsino, L., Michelangeli, F., Dullinger, S., & Smith, S. D. (2024). The Sequential Direct and Indirect Effects of Mountain Uplift, Climatic Niche, and Floral Trait Evolution on Diversification Dynamics in an Andean Plant Clade. Systematic Biology, 73(3), 594-612. Article syae011. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syae011
Gutermann, W., Jang, T. S., Kästner, A., Prehsler, D., Reich, D., Berger, A., Flatscher, R., Gilli, C., Hofbauer, M., Lachmayer, M., Sander, R., Sonnleitner, M., & Mucina, L. (2024). Thliphthisa sapphus (Rubiaceae, Rubieae), a new species from Lefkada (Ionian Islands, Greece) and its ecological position. PhytoKeys, 241, 65-79. Article 119144. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.241.119144