Hans-Peter Schultze, a Great Paleoichthyologist for Whom Work Is Synonymous with Enjoyment

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Hans-Peter Schultze, a Great Paleoichthyologist for Whom Work Is Synonymous with Enjoyment Mitt. Mus. Nat.kd. Berl., Geowiss. Reihe 5 (2002) 5-17 10.11.2002 Hans-Peter Schultze, a great paleoichthyologist for whom work is synonymous with enjoyment Richard Cloutierl With 4 figures and 2 tables In the summer of 1982, Hans-Peter Schultze and above all by his simplicity and friendliness. Two Gloria Arratia were invited to a small museum years later I started my PbD. at The University located on a fossiliferous site of the Devonian of Kansas, under the supervision of Hans-Peter. Escuminac Formation in Miguasha, Quebec, Compared to his long career, these two weeks eastern Canada. Hans-Peter was to work with that Hans-Peter spent in Miguasha represent an Marius Arsenault, the director of the Miguasha extremely short period of time. Some might say Museum, on the skull of the elpistostegalid EZ- that this little anecdote is insignificant when in- pistostege watsoni, a species closely related to ba- troducing a vertebrate paleontologist (Fig. ZA) sal tetrapods. In addition, he went through the who published 132 papers and books (a total of collections to describe and measure numerous 2977 published pages) in addition to more than juvenile specimens of the osteolepiform Eusthe- 80 abstracts, book reviews and obituaries. How- nopteron foordi. As expected, these two projects ever, this brief story is representative of Hans- turned out to be important contributions in low- Peter’s personality and contributions. He is a er vertebrate paleontology and systematics: one great scientist with numerous interests in science, on the origin of tetrapods (1985), and the second art, and history. Hans-Peter enjoys digging for one on growth patterns of a Late Devonian fish fossils, looking at fossils and describing fossils, (1984). During his visit to Miguasha, Hans-Peter and he loves sharing his knowledge and experi- also spent time digging for fossils and drawing ences with people, independent of their aca- numerous specimens in the collection. In addi- demic training. tion, in order to help the personnel of the mu- seum to identify some of the Escuminac fishes, he created an identification key based on the Pre-retirement years gross morphology of the scales. For a small group of undergraduate students, hired at the Hans-Peter was born in 1937 in the small coastal museum during the summer as naturalists, it was town of Swinemiinde, in northern Germany a unique opportunity to discuss paleontology (now Poland). His childhood was in a turbulent with a leading researcher. We were amazed by economic, political and historical period - World his willingness to talk to us, even if then most of War 11. Initially, he attended elementary school us only spoke French! For the first time, we in Thorn/Westprussia (now Poland) and then in were exposed to Hennigian methodology and its Ernsleben, Harz, which was in the Soviet Zone usage in vertebrate paleontology during an eve- at that time. In 1949, his mother and four chil- ning lecture that Hans-Peter prepared for us. His dren moved to West-Germany, taking up resi- lecture was delightful; it was an intensive course dence in Offenburg, Baden-Wurttemberg, where in lower vertebrate anatomy, and an intellectual Hans-Peter attended high school, finishing the journey among the philosophers Karl Marx and German “Abitur”, in 1956. Karl Popper, the entomologists Willy Hennig From 1956 to 1958, Hans-Peter studied geol- and Lars Brundin, and “The Band of Four” ogy at the University of Freiburg im Breisgau, (Rosen etal. 1981). It was for most of us our Germany, completing his Diploma (M.Sc.) in first exposure to science, as it should be done. geology at the University of Tubingen in 1962. We were all impressed by his knowledge and In 1965, Hans-Peter was awarded a Ph.D. at the DCpartement de Biologie, UniversitC du Quebec B Rimouski, 300, allee des Ursulines, Rimouski, QuCbec, Canada. 0 2002 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim 1435-1943/02/0511-0005$17.50+.50/0 6 Cloutier, R., Laudatio for Hans-Peter Schultze Fig. 1. Hans-Peter Schultze at work in his office in the Institut fir Palaontologie der Humboldt University, Berlin, May 2000 (Photo W. Harre) (A), and with the staff of the Institut, Winter 2001 (Photo C. Radke) (B). Abb. 1. Hans-Peter Schultze in seinem Arbeitszimmer im Institut fur Palaontologie der Humboldt Universitat zu Berlin, Mai 2000 (Foto W. Harre) (A) und mit den Mitarbeitern des Instituts, Winter 2001 (Foto C. Radke) (B). Mitt. Mus. Nat.kd. Berl., Geowiss. Reihe 5 (2002) I University of Tubingen, for his project on the broad scope of the Handbook while maintaining morphology and histology of Mesozoic actinop- a rigorous framework. Indeed, his tenacity and terygian scales, a continuation of the work begun dedication are crucial to the realisation of this by his supervisor Prof. Dr. Walter R. Gross series and many of us are very familiar with that (1935). Gross only accepted two graduate stu- famous line “So, when will you finish your part dents during his entire career: K. Fahlbusch, in of the handbook?” Berlin, and Hans-Peter in Tubingen. As a stu- In 1978, Hans-Peter left Germany in order to dent of Gross in the early 60s, Hans-Peter re- pursue his career in the USA. Lawrence, Kansas ceived training on the histology of scales and was to become his Land of Oz. He was pro- teeth of Paleozoic and Mesozoic fishes. The re- moted to the status of Associate Curator in the sults of his Ph.D. dissertation were published in Division of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Mu- 1966, in an impressive and widely cited mono- seum of Natural History and Associate Professor graph in which he demonstrated both the evolu- for the Department of Systematics and Ecology tionary change from rhombic to round scales in at the University of Kansas in 1981, and subse- halecostome actinopterygians and the systematic quently to Curator and Professor in 1987. From significance of the scales. 1988 to 1990, Hans-Peter occupied the position From 1965 to 1967, Hans-Peter spent a crucial of Chairman for the Department of Systematics period of his career at the Naturhistoriska Riks- and Ecology. During his many years in Law- museet in Stockholm, Sweden. During this time rence, he invested a great deal of time and en- he worked closely with Erik Jarvik (who was ergy in expanding the lower vertebrate paleonto- then the director), Erik Stensio, and Tor (drvig, a logical collection, increasing collection storage group of paleoichthyologists that eventually space, cataloguing the collection, and in having came to be referred to as the “Swedish School”. the collection computerized. In addition to his At that time, Stockholm was one of the leading teaching and research tasks, in 1990, he orga- centers for paleoichthyology and numerous re- nized the SOth Annual meeting of the Society of searchers were trained in the Department of Pa- Vertebrate Paleontology in Lawrence which in- leozoology. This group of researchers including cluded a symposium on phylogenetic relation- Hans-Peter, became friends, and have greatly in- ships in vertebrates, the first one in the history fluenced the field of lower vertebrate paleontol- of the society. ogy during the past 40 years. During his stay in Lawrence, Hans-Peter re- From 1967 to 1978, Hans-Peter was at the cruited a dynamic group of graduate students Geologisch-Palaontologisches Institut und Mu- and developed an active research program in seum of the University of Gottingen. During this lower vertebrate paleontology (Fig. 2). He taught period, he described material from the collection at both undergraduate (e.g., comparative anato- in Gottingen including placoderms from Iran, my) and graduate (e.g., lower vertebrate paleon- collected by Prof Dr. 0. H. Walliser (1973) and tology, structure and evolution of fishes, actinop- the Keuper sauropterygian Nothosaurus. He also terygian interrelationships, biology of dinosaurs) collected fossils in the Lower Devonian of Ger- levels. His courses (frequently team-taught with many. Hans-Peter then spent two years Linda Trueb, and occasionally with G. Arratia) (1970-1971) in the USA as a fellow of the Ger- were highly valued by the students and consid- man Academic Exchange Program. During this ered to be most stimulating and informative. An long journey he visited numerous vertebrate col- example of his enthusiasm is worth mentioning. lections throughout the country, drawing an im- In the spring of 1987, Hans-Peter and Linda pressive number of specimens and preparing his- were responsible for a graduate seminar series tological acetate peels that later were used in entitled Topics in Evolutionary Morphology. various publications. With a tremendous amount of effort they mana- In 1970, Hans-Peter took over the editorship ged to invite a series of prestigious paleontolo- of the prestigous Handbook of Paleoichthyology gists (John R. Bolt, Robert L. Carroll, Chang continuing the original work begun by Prof. Dr. Mee-Mann, Philip J. Currie, James A. Hopson, 0. Kuhn. Since he began his mission as editor, Nicholas Hotton 111, Farrish Jenkins, John H. Os- six volumes have been published and Hans-Peter trom, Alex L. Panchen, Samuel Tarsitano, and is currently contributing to volumes 1 (Agnatha) Emilia Vorobyeva) to present their ideas and hy- and 7 (Sarcopterygii 11) and writing volume 6 potheses on the origins of major groups of verte- (Sarcopterygii I: Dipnoi). Critically, Hans-Peter brates. As graduate students enrolled in this has played an important role in developing the seminar we were encouraged to question the 8 Cloutier, R., Laudatio for Hans-Peter Schultze Fig. 2. Hans-Peter Schultze and the staff members and graduate students of the Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, Univer- sity of Kansas, Lawrence, Winter 1989. From left to right, first row: J.
Recommended publications
  • Paleontological Research
    Paleontological Research Vol. 6 No.3 September 2002 The Palaeontological Society 0 pan Co-Editors Kazushige Tanabe and Tomoki Kase Language Editor Martin Janal (New York, USA) Associate Editors Alan G. Beu (Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, Lower Hutt, New Zealand), Satoshi Chiba (Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan), Yoichi Ezaki (Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan), James C. Ingle, Jr. (Stanford University, Stanford, USA), Kunio Kaiho (Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan), Susan M. Kidwell (University of Chicago, Chicago, USA), Hiroshi Kitazato (Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan), Naoki Kohno (National Science Museum, Tokyo, Japan), Neil H. Landman (Amemican Museum of Natural History, New York, USA), Haruyoshi Maeda (Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan), Atsushi Matsuoka (Niigata University, Niigata, Japan), Rihito Morita (Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba, Japan), Harufumi Nishida (Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan), Kenshiro Ogasawara (University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan), Tatsuo Oji (University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan), Andrew B. Smith (Natural History Museum, London, Great Britain), Roger D. K. Thomas (Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, USA), Katsumi Ueno (Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan), Wang Hongzhen (China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China), Yang Seong Young (Kyungpook National University, Taegu, Korea) Officers for 2001-2002 Honorary President: Tatsuro Matsumoto President: Hiromichi Hirano Councillors: Shuko Adachi, Kazutaka Amano, Yoshio Ando, Masatoshi Goto, Hiromichi Hirano, Yasuo Kondo, Noriyuki
    [Show full text]
  • Great Canadian Lagerstätten 4. the Devonian Miguasha Biota
    Document généré le 29 sept. 2021 18:57 Geoscience Canada Great Canadian Lagerstätten 4. The Devonian Miguasha Biota (Québec): UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Time Capsule in the Early History of Vertebrates Richard Cloutier Volume 40, numéro 2, 2013 Résumé de l'article Au cours des 170 dernières années, le biote du Dévonien supérieur de URI : https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/geocan40_2ser02 Miguasha de l’Est du Canada a fourni un assemblage aquatique diversifié, comprenant 20 espèces de vertébrés inférieurs (anaspides, ostéostracés, Aller au sommaire du numéro placodermes, acanthodiens, actinoptérygiens et sarcoptérygiens) et un assemblage peu diversifié d’invertébrés ainsi qu’une composante continentale, représentée par des plantes, des scorpions et des mille-pattes. À l’origine Éditeur(s) interprété comme un milieu lacustre d’eau douce, les dernières preuves paléontologiques, taphonomiques, sédimentologiques et géochimiques The Geological Association of Canada confirment un environ-nement saumâtre rappelant celui d’un estuaire. Plus de 18,000 fossiles de poissons ont été découverts montrant différents états de ISSN conservation, notamment en trois dimensions et la préservation de tissus mous. La plupart des vertébrés sont connus par de nombreux spécimens 0315-0941 (imprimé) complets et articulés. Des spécimens de larves et de juvéniles, 1911-4850 (numérique) exceptionnellement bien conservés, ont été identifiées pour 14 des 20 espèces de poissons permettant des études détaillées de leur croissance. De nombreux Découvrir la revue horizons au sein de la Formation d’Escuminac sont inter-prétés soit comme des Konservat– ou Konzentrat–Lagerstätten. Citer cet article Cloutier, R. (2013). Great Canadian Lagerstätten 4. The Devonian Miguasha Biota (Québec): UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Time Capsule in the Early History of Vertebrates.
    [Show full text]
  • Constraints on the Timescale of Animal Evolutionary History
    Palaeontologia Electronica palaeo-electronica.org Constraints on the timescale of animal evolutionary history Michael J. Benton, Philip C.J. Donoghue, Robert J. Asher, Matt Friedman, Thomas J. Near, and Jakob Vinther ABSTRACT Dating the tree of life is a core endeavor in evolutionary biology. Rates of evolution are fundamental to nearly every evolutionary model and process. Rates need dates. There is much debate on the most appropriate and reasonable ways in which to date the tree of life, and recent work has highlighted some confusions and complexities that can be avoided. Whether phylogenetic trees are dated after they have been estab- lished, or as part of the process of tree finding, practitioners need to know which cali- brations to use. We emphasize the importance of identifying crown (not stem) fossils, levels of confidence in their attribution to the crown, current chronostratigraphic preci- sion, the primacy of the host geological formation and asymmetric confidence intervals. Here we present calibrations for 88 key nodes across the phylogeny of animals, rang- ing from the root of Metazoa to the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens. Close attention to detail is constantly required: for example, the classic bird-mammal date (base of crown Amniota) has often been given as 310-315 Ma; the 2014 international time scale indicates a minimum age of 318 Ma. Michael J. Benton. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. [email protected] Philip C.J. Donoghue. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. [email protected] Robert J.
    [Show full text]
  • Spiracular Air Breathing in Polypterid Fishes and Its Implications for Aerial
    ARTICLE Received 1 May 2013 | Accepted 27 Nov 2013 | Published 23 Jan 2014 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4022 Spiracular air breathing in polypterid fishes and its implications for aerial respiration in stem tetrapods Jeffrey B. Graham1, Nicholas C. Wegner1,2, Lauren A. Miller1, Corey J. Jew1, N Chin Lai1,3, Rachel M. Berquist4, Lawrence R. Frank4 & John A. Long5,6 The polypterids (bichirs and ropefish) are extant basal actinopterygian (ray-finned) fishes that breathe air and share similarities with extant lobe-finned sarcopterygians (lungfishes and tetrapods) in lung structure. They are also similar to some fossil sarcopterygians, including stem tetrapods, in having large paired openings (spiracles) on top of their head. The role of spiracles in polypterid respiration has been unclear, with early reports suggesting that polypterids could inhale air through the spiracles, while later reports have largely dismissed such observations. Here we resolve the 100-year-old mystery by presenting structural, behavioural, video, kinematic and pressure data that show spiracle-mediated aspiration accounts for up to 93% of all air breaths in four species of Polypterus. Similarity in the size and position of polypterid spiracles with those of some stem tetrapods suggests that spiracular air breathing may have been an important respiratory strategy during the fish-tetrapod transition from water to land. 1 Marine Biology Research Division, Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA. 2 Fisheries Resource Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. 3 VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California 92161, USA.
    [Show full text]
  • Gar (Lepisosteidae)
    Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Animal Information Series Gar (Lepisosteidae) Gar species found in Indiana waters: -Longnose Gar (Lepisosteus osseus) -Shortnose Gar (Lepisosteus platostomus) -Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) -Alligator Gar* (Atractosteus spatula) *Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) Alligator gar were extirpated in many states due to habitat destruction, but now they have been reintroduced to their old native habitat in the states of Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Because they have been stocked into the Ohio River, there is a possibility that alligator gar are either already in Indiana or will be found here in the future. Alligator gar are one of the largest freshwater fishes of North America and can reach up to 10 feet long and weigh 300 pounds. Alligator gar are passive, solitary fishes that live in large rivers, swamps, bayous, and lakes. They have a short, wide snout and a double row of teeth on the upper jaw. They are ambush predators that eat mainly fish but have also been seen to eat waterfowl. They are not, however, harmful to humans, as they will only attack an animal that they can swallow whole. Photo Credit: Duane Raver, USFWS Other Names -garpike, billy gar -Shortnose gar: shortbill gar, stubnose gar -Longnose gar: needlenose gar, billfish Why are they called gar? The Anglo-Saxon word gar means spear, which describes the fishes’ long spear-like appearance. The genus name Lepisosteus contains the Greek words lepis which means “scale” and osteon which means “bone.” What do they look like? Gar are slender, cylindrical fishes with hard, diamond-shaped and non-overlapping scales.
    [Show full text]
  • Marine Early Triassic Osteichthyes from Spiti, Indian Himalayas
    Swiss J Palaeontol (2016) 135:275–294 DOI 10.1007/s13358-015-0098-6 Marine Early Triassic Osteichthyes from Spiti, Indian Himalayas 1 1 1 1 Carlo Romano • David Ware • Thomas Bru¨hwiler • Hugo Bucher • Winand Brinkmann1 Received: 12 March 2015 / Accepted: 11 August 2015 / Published online: 28 September 2015 Ó Akademie der Naturwissenschaften Schweiz (SCNAT) 2015 Abstract A new, marine osteichthyan (bony fish) fauna strata of other localities. The study of Early Triassic fish from the Early Triassic of northern India is presented. The assemblages, including the presented one, is fundamental material was collected in situ at localities within Pin Valley for our understanding of the great osteichthyan diversifi- (Lahaul and Spiti District, Himachal Pradesh, India) and is cation after the Late Permian mass extinction event. dated as middle-late Dienerian (one specimen possibly earliest Smithian). The new ichthyofauna includes a lower Keywords Neotethys Á Northern Indian Margin Á jaw of the predatory basal ray-finned fish Saurichthys,a Gondwana Á Anoxia Á Biotic recovery Á Urohyal nearly complete specimen of a parasemionotid neoptery- gian (cf. Watsonulus cf. eugnathoides), as well as further Abbreviations articulated and disarticulated remains (Actinopterygii CMNFV Canadian Museum of Nature (Fossil indet., Actinistia indet.), and thus comprises the most Vertebrate), Ottawa, Canada complete Triassic fish fossils known from the Indian sub- MNHN.F Muse´um National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, continent. Saurichthys is known from many Triassic France localities and reached a global distribution rapidly after the PIMUZ Pala¨ontologisches Institut und Museum, Late Permian mass extinction event. Parasemionotidae, a Universita¨tZu¨rich, Zu¨rich, Schweiz species-rich family restricted to the Early Triassic, also achieved widespread distribution during this epoch.
    [Show full text]
  • Systematic Morphology of Fishes in the Early 21St Century
    Copeia 103, No. 4, 2015, 858–873 When Tradition Meets Technology: Systematic Morphology of Fishes in the Early 21st Century Eric J. Hilton1, Nalani K. Schnell2, and Peter Konstantinidis1 Many of the primary groups of fishes currently recognized have been established through an iterative process of anatomical study and comparison of fishes that has spanned a time period approaching 500 years. In this paper we give a brief history of the systematic morphology of fishes, focusing on some of the individuals and their works from which we derive our own inspiration. We further discuss what is possible at this point in history in the anatomical study of fishes and speculate on the future of morphology used in the systematics of fishes. Beyond the collection of facts about the anatomy of fishes, morphology remains extremely relevant in the age of molecular data for at least three broad reasons: 1) new techniques for the preparation of specimens allow new data sources to be broadly compared; 2) past morphological analyses, as well as new ideas about interrelationships of fishes (based on both morphological and molecular data) provide rich sources of hypotheses to test with new morphological investigations; and 3) the use of morphological data is not limited to understanding phylogeny and evolution of fishes, but rather is of broad utility to understanding the general biology (including phenotypic adaptation, evolution, ecology, and conservation biology) of fishes. Although in some ways morphology struggles to compete with the lure of molecular data for systematic research, we see the anatomical study of fishes entering into a new and exciting phase of its history because of recent technological and methodological innovations.
    [Show full text]
  • Family Lepisosteidae (Gars)
    Invasive Species Fact Sheet Gar, Family Lepisosteidae General Description Gars are large, freshwater fish belonging to the Lepisosteidae family, which consists of 7 species of gar: alligator, Cuban, Florida, longnose, shortnose, spotted, and tropical. Gars have long, cylindrical bodies covered in hard, shiny, diamond-shaped Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) scales. Their dorsal and anal fins sit far back on the body, Photo by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources near the tail. They have slender snouts with sharp, needle- like teeth. Gars are generally green to brown in color on their top and sides and white to yellow on their bellies; some species have spots on their bodies and/or fins. The different species of gar can be distinguished by snout length, number of rows of teeth, and the amount and location of spots. Depending on the species, adult gar range from 1 to over 9 feet long. The largest species of gar, the alligator gar, has been reported to grow up to 10 feet and weigh 350 lbs. Current Distribution Gars are not currently found in California. Alligator gars have been collected in California waters on a few occasions, but these fish were likely the result of aquarium releases. Five of the seven gar species are native to the United States. Spotted gars (Lepisosteus oculatus) confiscated Gars are currently found within and outside of their native ranges in by CDFW wardens the United States from the Great Lakes basin in the north, south Photo by CDFW through the Mississippi River drainage to Texas, Mexico, and Florida. Florida gars are only found in Florida and Georgia.
    [Show full text]
  • Giant Fossil Coelacanths from the Late Cretaceous of the Eastern
    ^rfij^i^v^^™, - » v ' - - 4 j/ N ^P"" ,- V ^™ V- -*^ >•;:-* ' ^ * -r;' David R. Schwimmer, Geologist, Columbus State University Introduction In Autumn, 1987, a sizeable mass of fossil bone was discovered by amateur collectors in the bed of a small creek in eastern Alabama. The bone-bearing rock, some 300 kg in weight, was collected by a party led by G. Dent Williams and transferred to the paleontology laboratory at Columbus State University. Williams prepared most of the material using air percussion tools, and I further cleared some bones with acetic acid. A mandible (lower jaw bone) of 502 mm length was the first bone prepared from the material. It strangely lacked evidence of both teeth and tooth sockets, and it was covered medially with coarse denticulation resembling #40 grit sandpaper. The jawbone conformed with no recognizable North American Late Cretaceous fish or four-legged animal, and, given the large size of the mandible, my initial search for an identification ranged from ankylosaurid dinosaurs, to mosasaurs, to the larger contemporary fish, such as Xiphactinus. Nothing known in the Late Cretaceous of North America matched the mandible nor any other bone which was subsequently prepared from this matrix. J.D. Stewart of the L.A. County Museum was prior fossil record of a North American coelacanth is concurrently studying fossils of small marine Diplurus newarki, from freshwater deposits of earliest coelacanths from the Late Cretaceous of western Kansas, Jurassic age (ca. 205 Myr.: Schaeffer, 1941, 1952). USA (which were also a new discovery at the time: see Forey (1981) and Maisey (1991) recognized two sub- Stewart et al., 1991).
    [Show full text]
  • I Ecomorphological Change in Lobe-Finned Fishes (Sarcopterygii
    Ecomorphological change in lobe-finned fishes (Sarcopterygii): disparity and rates by Bryan H. Juarez A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) in the University of Michigan 2015 Master’s Thesis Committee: Assistant Professor Lauren C. Sallan, University of Pennsylvania, Co-Chair Assistant Professor Daniel L. Rabosky, Co-Chair Associate Research Scientist Miriam L. Zelditch i © Bryan H. Juarez 2015 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the Rabosky Lab, David W. Bapst, Graeme T. Lloyd and Zerina Johanson for helpful discussions on methodology, Lauren C. Sallan, Miriam L. Zelditch and Daniel L. Rabosky for their dedicated guidance on this study and the London Natural History Museum for courteously providing me with access to specimens. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii LIST OF FIGURES iv LIST OF APPENDICES v ABSTRACT vi SECTION I. Introduction 1 II. Methods 4 III. Results 9 IV. Discussion 16 V. Conclusion 20 VI. Future Directions 21 APPENDICES 23 REFERENCES 62 iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES TABLE/FIGURE II. Cranial PC-reduced data 6 II. Post-cranial PC-reduced data 6 III. PC1 and PC2 Cranial and Post-cranial Morphospaces 11-12 III. Cranial Disparity Through Time 13 III. Post-cranial Disparity Through Time 14 III. Cranial/Post-cranial Disparity Through Time 15 v LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX A. Aquatic and Semi-aquatic Lobe-fins 24 B. Species Used In Analysis 34 C. Cranial and Post-Cranial Landmarks 37 D. PC3 and PC4 Cranial and Post-cranial Morphospaces 38 E. PC1 PC2 Cranial Morphospaces 39 1-2.
    [Show full text]
  • Paleozoic Geomagnetism Shapes Vertebrate Evolution
    1 Paleozoic geomagnetism shapes vertebrate evolution 2 John Phillip Staub 3 Unaffiliated researcher 4 Corresponding Author: John P. Staub Email address: [email protected] 5 6 Background. Despite a fifty-year failure of paleontologists to find a viable connection between 7 geomagnetic polarity reversals and evolutionary patterns, recent databases show that the early 8 appearance, radiation, and diversification of Paleozoic vertebrates tends to occur during periods 9 having frequent collapses of the Earth’s geomagnetic field. The transition time during the 10 collapse of the Earth’s protective magnetic shield can last thousands of years, and the effects on 11 biota are unknown. Solar and cosmic radiation, volcanism, weather alteration, low-frequency 12 electromagnetic fields, depletion of ozone, and the stripping of atmospheric oxygen have been 13 proposed as possible causes, but previous studies have found no effects. 14 Methods. Using published databases, we compiled a spreadsheet that shows the first appearance 15 of 1809 age-dated genera with each genus assigned to one of 28 taxonomic groups. From 16 Gradstein’s Geologic Time Scale 2012, we delineated 17 Paleozoic zones with either high or low 17 levels of polarity reversals. 18 Results. From our compilation, we counted 508 Paleozoic vertebrates that first appeared within 19 20 million-years of the origin of their clade or natural group. These genera represent the initial 20 radiation and diversification of individual Paleozoic vertebrate clades. After compensating for 21 sample-size and external geologic biases, the resulting Pearson’s coefficient between these 22 genera and polarity zones equals 0.781. Using 11 commonly accepted clades and assuming a 23 natural competition existed between them, we counted each genus from a clade’s inception until 24 it was bypassed by a subsequent clade.
    [Show full text]
  • A Phylogenomic Perspective on the Radiation of Ray-Finned Fishes Based Upon Targeted Sequencing of Ultraconserved Elements
    1 A phylogenomic perspective on the radiation of 2 ray-finned fishes based upon targeted sequencing of 3 ultraconserved elements 1;2;∗ 1;2 1 1 4 Michael E. Alfaro , Brant C. Faircloth , Laurie Sorenson , Francesco Santini 1 5 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 2 6 These authors contributed equally to this work 7 ∗ E-mail: [email protected] arXiv:1210.0120v1 [q-bio.PE] 29 Sep 2012 1 8 Summary 9 Ray-finned fishes constitute the dominant radiation of vertebrates with over 30,000 species. 10 Although molecular phylogenetics has begun to disentangle major evolutionary relationships 11 within this vast section of the Tree of Life, there is no widely available approach for effi- 12 ciently collecting phylogenomic data within fishes, leaving much of the enormous potential 13 of massively parallel sequencing technologies for resolving major radiations in ray-finned 14 fishes unrealized. Here, we provide a genomic perspective on longstanding questions regard- 15 ing the diversification of major groups of ray-finned fishes through targeted enrichment of 16 ultraconserved nuclear DNA elements (UCEs) and their flanking sequence. Our workflow 17 efficiently and economically generates data sets that are orders of magnitude larger than 18 those produced by traditional approaches and is well-suited to working with museum speci- 19 mens. Analysis of the UCE data set recovers a well-supported phylogeny at both shallow and 20 deep time-scales that supports a monophyletic relationship between Amia and Lepisosteus 21 (Holostei) and reveals elopomorphs and then osteoglossomorphs to be the earliest diverging 22 teleost lineages.
    [Show full text]