Diversity and Evolution of Semionotid Fishes

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The Neopterygians are the most important group of bony fishes, with their Recent species numbers greatly exceeding that of all other vertebrate groups. However, their early history is still poorly understood, and the phylogenetic relationships among basal neopterygians, and thus the origin of teleosts, remain enigmatic. One of the most important and controversial groups of basal neopterygians are the semionotids. Although semionotids are among the most common basal neopterygians in Mesozoic sediments, and members of the group were among the first fossil fishes to be described, even their alpha taxonomy and their phylogenetic relationships have not been resolved so far. Furthermore, the phylogenetic position of semionotids within neopterygians is far from clear. The objectives of the current project are thus to establish a phylogenetic framework to attain a better understanding of semionotid evolution and diversity, and to analyse their phylogenetic position within neopterygians. In a three-step approach, first the taxonomy of the most important genera of semionotids will be established, then these will be put in a phylogenetic context, and finally, building on the two previous phases, the position of semionotids within neopterygians will be analysed. The project will lead to a much better understanding of Mesozoic neopterygian diversity and evolution, and character evolution in basal neopterygians in general.