THE EARLY EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF SHARKS AND SHARK-
LIKE FISHES
by
PLAMEN STANISLAVOV ANDREEV
A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Geosystems
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Birmingham
October 2014
University of Birmingham Research Archive
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Table of contents
page
List of Figures vi
Acknowledgements x
Thesis Abstract xi
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
Chapter 2: Methodology and definitions of terms
2.1. Methods
2.1.1. Scale structure analysis 6
2.1.2. Phylogenetic analysis 7
2.2. Definitions of terms 9
2.3. Acquisition and accession of specimens 12
2.4. Institutional abbreviations 13
Chapter 3: North American scale taxa from the Upper Ordovician shed light on the early evolution of the chondrichthyan integumentary skeleton
3.1. Introduction 18
3.2. Systematic palaeontology 20
3.3. Discussion
3.3.1. The characteristics of chondrichthyan scales 31