Systematics and biogeography of fossil and living teleost fishes

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I study the evolution of fishes, particularly those that are well represented in the fossil record. Of particular interest are fishes that were swimming in the waters of the tropics and North America during the time of the dinosaurs. Many of these fish continued to flourish after the dinosaurs became extinct. During the interval of time that is of particular interest, not only was there the major extinction event that effected the dinosaurs, but the continents of the world were also undergoing considerable rearrangement to eventually come to be placed in the manner that is familiar to us today. Prior to the extinction event, there was a large seaway stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, completely separating the eastern and western parts of North America. Some continents were closer together, with South America and Africa united in a single land mass. The changes in the continental configurations, such as the widening southern Atlantic Ocean eventually splitting Africa from South America, and the east and west parts of North American being united as the seaway retreated, drastically altered the distribution of both marine and freshwater fishes. By studying the fish fossils from this time period, we can determine ancient distribution patterns of particular fishes, and link these to changing global environments.