Geier Christian

Christian Geier, BSc MSc

Scientific project collaborator (prae doc)
PhD Student
Ground floor, room 1
t: +43 (0)1 4277-540 00
m: christian.geier@univie.ac.at

Title of the Doctoral Thesis

Flower-insect interactions in the Eocene to Oligocene of Central Europe

Media contributions

Press release University of Vienna:
Bumble bees pollinated linden flowers already 24 million years ago – 22. September 2025

Research interests

Palynology
Ultrastructure of plants
X-Ray CT
Flower-insect interactions
pollination biology

Projects

Scientific project collaborator FWF-Project P 34303-B "Flower Power: can in-situ pollen link fossil plants to floral visitors?" (Friðgeir Grímsson)

Curriculum Vitae

Current position

2022– PhD student/Scientific project collaborator (prae doc) FWF-Project P 34303-B

Education and scientific career

2022– PhD Biology
2022 Master's Theses "The late middle Miocene palynoflora of Gratkorn, Styria, Austria"
2021 Student project collaborator FWF-Project P 29501-B25
2020–2022 Master's Programme Botany, University of Vienna
2016–2020 Bachelor's in biology with specialization in botany, University of Vienna (Thesis: Investigations to the distribution of Microthlaspi erraticum and Microthlaspi perfoliatum in eastern Austria using ITS based phylogeny)

Publications

2024

Ulrich, S., Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Zetter, R., Schönenberger, J., Uhl, D., & Grimsson, F. (2024). Combined LM and EM investigations of pollen from compressed fossil flowers aid in their taxonomic assignment. In J. Bek, & J. Votočková Frojdová (Eds.), XV International Palynological Congress - XI International Organization of Palaeobotany Conference: Abstract Book (pp. 125-126). Article O-236 CZECH-IN s. r. o..

Till, A., Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Wedmann, S., Cantrill, D., & Grimsson, F. (2024). Did beetles visit Pseudanthus (Picrodendraceae) flowers in the Eocene of Europe? In J. Bek, & J. Votočková Frojdová (Eds.), XV International Palynological Congress - XI International Organization of Palaeobotany Conference: Abstract Book (pp. 132-133). Article O-248 CZECH-IN s. r. o..

Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Uhl, D., Wedmann, S., Wappler, T., & Grimsson, F. (2024). Eocene flower visitation of European Diptera and their potential pollinator role. Abstracts of the European Geosciences Union General Assembly. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-5607

Grimsson, F., Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Schönenberger, J., Uhl, D., Wedmann, S., Zetter, R., & Wappler, T. (2024). Flowers and insects with in situ and/or adhered pollen from Eckfeld (Eocene) and Enspel (Oligocene), Germany. In J. Bek, & J. Votočková Frojdová (Eds.), XV International Palynological Congress - XI International Organization of Palaeobotany Conference: Abstract Book (pp. 127). Article O-238 CZECH-IN s. r. o..

Bouchal, J. M., Geier, C., Ulrich, S., Uhl, D., Wedmann, S., Wappler, T., & Grimsson, F. (2024). Fossil Coleoptera with in situ and adhered pollen from the Eocene of Eckfeld, Germany. Abstracts of the European Geosciences Union General Assembly. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-5326

Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Zetter, R., Schönenberger, J., Uhl, D., Wedmann, S., Wappler, T., & Grimsson, F. (2024). Matching Messel flowers with their insect visitors via pollen. In J. Bek, & J. Votočková Frojdová (Eds.), XV International Palynological Congress - XI International Organization of Palaeobotany Conference: Abstract Book (pp. 124-125). Article O-234 CZECH-IN s. r. o..

Wedmann, S., Bouchal, J. M., Boudet, L., Engel, M., Geier, C., Grimsson, F., Poschmann, M. J., Schindler, T., & Wappler, T. (2024). Paleodiversity of paleogene hymenopteran insects and their interactions with flowers. In K. De Baets, & A. Kaim (Eds.), PALGES 2024 WARSAW: Abstract Book (pp. 161). https://doi.org/10.4202/app.01209.2024

Zetter, R., Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Hayes, P., Collinson , M., Ahmad, S., & Grimsson, F. (2024). Palynoflora of the Insect Limestone, late Eocene, UK. In J. Bek, & J. Votočková Frojdová (Eds.), XV International Palynological Congress - XI International Organization of Palaeobotany Conference: Abstract Book (pp. 126). Article O-237 CZECH-IN s. r. o..

Bouchal, J. M., Geier, C., Ulrich, S., Wilde, V., Lenz, O. K., Zetter, R., & Grimsson, F. (2024). Qualitative LM and SEM study of the Messel palynoflora: part I. Algae to Vitales. Grana, 63(3), 193-246. https://doi.org/10.1080/00173134.2024.2375209

Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Geier, C., Zetter, R., Wilde, V., Lenz, O. K., & Grimsson, F. (2024). Reinvestigating the Messel palynoflora using combined LM and SEM. In J. Bek, & J. Votočková Frojdová (Eds.), XV International Palynological Congress - XI International Organization of Palaeobotany Conference: Abstract Book (pp. 125). Article O-235 CZECH-IN s. r. o..

2023

Vieira, M., Bouchal, J. M., Geier, C., Ulrich, S., Zetter, R., & Grimsson, F. (2023). Earliest fossil pollen records of endemic African Sclerosperma palms and the palaeoecological aspects of the genus. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 317, Article 104954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2023.104954

Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Uhl, D., Wappler, T., Wedmann, S., Zetter, R., & Grimsson, F. (2023). Collecting in situ/adhered pollen from fossil compressed angiosperm flowers. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 310, 1-6. Article 104831. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2022.104831

Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Wappler, T., & Grimsson, F. (2023). Fossil Onagraceae flower and insects with in situ or adhered pollen from the Eocene of Eckfeld, Germany. In Abstract EGU23 Article EGU23-6116 https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6116

Bouchal, J. M., Geier, C., Ulrich, S., Wilde, V., Lenz, O. K., Zetter, R., & Grimsson, F. (2023). Revisiting the Messel palynoflora using a combined LM and SEM approach. In Abstracts of the European Geosciences Union General Assembly (Vol. 2023) https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6499

Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Nel, A., Ngo-Muller, V., Schönenberger, J., Uhl, D., Ulrich, S., Wappler, T., Wedmann, S., & Grimsson, F. (2023). The history of European Paleogene flower-insect interactions unraveled using fossil flowers and insects and their associated pollen grains. In 24th Annual Meeting of the Society of Biological Systematics: Programme and Abstracts (pp. 21-22)

Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Nel, A., Ngo-Muller, V., Oberleitner, S., Uhl, D., Ulrich, S., Wappler, T., Wedmann, S., Zimmermann, D., & Grimsson, F. (2023). Tilioideae-Anthophila interactions in the Cenozoic of Europe. In Life and Planet 2023: Full Programme with Abstracts (pp. 63-64)

2022

Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Ulrich, S., Gross, M., Zetter, R., Denk, T., & Grimsson, F. (2022). Paleovegetation and paleoclimate inferences of the early late Sarmatian palynoflora from the Gleisdorf Fm. at Gratkorn, Styria, Austria. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 307, Article 104767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2022.104767

Geier, C., Bouchal, J. M., Wappler, T., & Grimsson, F. (2022). Linking fossil angiosperm flowers and insects using in-situ and adhered pollen. In S. McLoughlin (Ed.), 11th European Palaeobotany and Palynology Conference: Abstracts, Program, and Proceedings Article O.052.

Wuttke, M., Poschmann, M. J., Bouchal, J. M., Geier, C., Ulrich, S., Grimsson, F., & Wappler, T. (2022). Pollen-feeding in a late Oligocene giant pelobatid tadpole from Lake Enspel (Westerwald Mountains, Germany). In Datz-Symposium & 30th International Workshop on Plant Taphonony: Program, Abstracts, Information (pp. 31).

Geier, C. (2022) The late middle Miocene palynoflora of Gratkorn, Styria, Austria. University of Vienna (Masterthesis)

Geier, C. (2020) Investigations to the distribution of Microthlaspi erraticum and Microthlaspi perfoliatum in eastern Austria using ITS based phylogeny. University of Vienna (Bachelorthesis)