DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Unraveling the Systematics of Palaeoniscoid Fishes-Lower Actinopterygians in Need of a Complete Phylogenetic Revision

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Although ray-finned fishes (e.g. catfish, salmon) are the most diverse group of vertebrates on the planet today, their early evolution is poorly understood. This is because primitive fossil ray-finned fishes, the palaeoniscoids, are an understudied group. Countless palaeoniscoids remain to be described and included in analyses that investigate evolutionary relationships among extinct and extant ray-finned fishes. These extinct fishes are important because the body plan of today's fishes has originated from palaeoniscoids, and there is evidence that some are closely related to today's fishes. The goal of this project is to shed light onto the early evolution of fishes by investigating the interrelationships of palaeoniscoids in a comprehensive study. This will be accomplished with descriptions of new species from museum collections, investigations into anatomical changes in ancestral palaeoniscoids and descendants, and reconstructing evolutionary relationships among palaeoniscoids and living fishes. Knowledge of relationships of fossil ray-finned fishes (palaeoniscoids) will provide a better understanding of the early evolution of today's living fishes. Fossil fishes most closely related to today's forms will be identified. Anatomical features identified in this project can affect many areas of study into today's fishes by identifying the ancestral condition for ray-finned fishes. In addition, lessons describing what can be learned from fossil fishes will be created for elementary school students.