Morphology, Function and Systematics in Upper Carboniferous Ammonoids

利用微型计算机模拟和主成分分析，可以对甲壳类头足类化石的外壳形态和流体力学特征进行分析。这一方法将与内部缝合线形式索引相结合，以便(A)记录上石炭系菊石的全壳和流体力学特征的形态历史；(B)确定现有的石炭纪菊石系统发育系统方案是否具有功能基础；(C)试图确定缝合形式对氨水静力学的影响程度，并跟踪缝合复杂性相对于贝壳形式和流体静力学随时间的变化，为了评估缝合的功能作用和(D)将上石炭统菊石的演化历史和形态和流体力学特征的多样性与这一时期的现有古生态模型和海平面曲线联系起来。

It is possible to analyze fossil shelled cephalopods in terms of external shell morphology and hydromechanical characteristics, using microcomputer simulations and principal components analysis. This approach will be combined with indexing of internal sutural form, in order to (a) document the morphological history of Upper Carboniferous ammonoids in terms of whole-shell and hydromechanical characteristics; (b) determine whether there is a functional basis to existing phylogenetic-based systematic schemes for Carboniferous ammonoids; (c) attempt to determine the extent to which sutural form influences ammonoid hydrostatics, and to track changes in sutural complexity against shell form and hydrostatics through time, in an effort to evaluate the functional role of the suture and (d) relate the evolutionary history and diversity of morphological and hydromechanical characteristics of Upper Carboniferous ammonoids to existing models of paleoecology and sea- level curves for this interval.