New holostean (Actinopterygii, Neopterygii) from the Nusplingen Lithographic Limestone (Upper Jurassic, Late Kimmeridgian), Germany

本项目拟对德国西南部Nusplingen地区晚kimmeridian发现的一个新的halecomorph分类群的解剖、分类和系统发育关系进行研究。在halecomorphs中，这种新鱼与中三叠世的一些分类群最相似，这些分类群可能代表了最古老的电离层形态，或者是一个独立的、更基础的谱系。因此，对这一新的Nusplingen分类群的形态学和分支学研究可能对重新评估目前关于Halecomorphi的系统发育假设和提高我们对这一重要脊椎动物群体早期进化的理解至关重要。此外，经过一段时间的分子系统发育的主导地位，忽视了古生物学在系统分类学中的作用，以及随后在所谓的分子与形态学“争议”框架下的讨论，进化生物学家越来越认识到在系统发育分析和宏观进化研究中整合化石分类群的必要性。要做到这一点，需要全证据分析，包括现存和化石分类群的分子和形态数据，但由于缺乏对许多重要分类群的详细形态学研究，这是具有挑战性和困难的。在此背景下，本文提出的研究也代表了有价值的贡献，以完善和增加形态学数据所需的新翅鸟科的系统发育和宏观进化的全证据研究。

The present project is proposed to study the anatomy, taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of a new halecomorph taxon recently discovered in the Late Kimmeridgian of Nusplingen, Southwest Germany. Among halecomorphs, the new fish resembles most closely some Middle Triassic taxa that might represent the oldest ionoscopiforms or an independent and more basal lineage. The morphological and cladistic study of this new Nusplingen taxon might thus be crucial to reevaluate current phylogenetic hypotheses of Halecomorphi and improve our understanding of the early evolution of this important group of vertebrates. Furthermore, after a period of dominance of molecular phylogenetics, neglecting the role of palaeontology in systematics, and a subsequent time of discussions in the framework of the so-called molecules vs morphology ‘controversy’, evolutionary biologists more and more understand the need of integrating fossil taxa in phylogenetic analyses and macroevolutionary studies. To do so, Total Evidence analyses, including both molecular and morphological data of living and fossil taxa are needed but, this is challenging and difficult due to the lack of detailed morphological study of many important taxa. In this context, the study proposed herein also represents a valuable contribution to refine and increase the morphological data needed for a Total Evidence study of the phylogeny and macroevolution of Neopterygii.