Senckenberg Forschunginstitut und Naturmuseum

Faculty Member, Department of Palaeontology and Historical Geology

Section leader - Section Palaeozoology I: Aquatic macroarthropods

About

My research interests:

I. PALEOBIOLOGY & PALEOECOLOGY OF PRIMITIVE ARTHROPODS
The Cambrian radiation of arthropods permitted the emergence of the stem-groups of extant clades but for the most part, it consisted in the diversification of primitive forms experiencing a variety of body plans with no modern equivalents. Trilobites, the most successful of these primitive groups, achieved the colonization of most marine habitats and survived for more than 270 million years. Investigating their anatomy and that of their closest relatives permits to describe the primitive states of various aspects of arthropod body organization (e.g. digestive system, sensory apparatuses) and therefore to document the early steps of their evolution within the phylum. Combined to data from community analyses and sedimentological studies, morpho-anatomical data also allowed a better assessment of the roles of trilobites within marine ecosystems and their evolution during the Palaeozoic.   

*** Current Projects ***
- autecology of scutelluid trilobites: quantitative analysis of their postures (with E. Schindler, Senckenberg RI), volvatory capacities and life habits as revealed by morpho-functional studies (with R. Feist, University Montpellier II)
- sensory organs of aquatic arthropods: the Cephalic Median Organ of trilobites and the Sensory Dorsal Organ of malacostracans (with K.J. McNamara, Cambridge University), the ventral eyes of trilobites (with R. Feist, University Montpellier II).
- the digestive system of trilobites (with T. Hegna, Yale University)   

II. THE EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF LATE MIDDLE TO LATE PALEOZOIC TRILOBITES
While they were major elements of benthic marine ecosystems from the Cambrian to the Early Devonian, only rare trilobites occurred in the terminal Permian just prior to the complete eradication of the group during the Permo-Triassic mass extinction. The evolutionary history of Middle Devonian to Permian trilobites documents how global changes affecting the planet and its biosphere might have lead to the complete annihilation of organisms which, however, had demonstrated exceptional capacities to diversify and to adapt to new biotopes.

*** Current Projects ***
- Descriptions of new Late Palaeozoic trilobite taxa from various countries (Australia, Iran, Oman, Russia), and especially Turkey. Collaborations: L. Angiolini (Milan University), S. Crasquin-Soleau (University Paris 6), T. Hegna (Yale University), K.J. McNamara (Cambridge University)...
- Analysis of the evolution of trilobite disparity during their Early Carboniferous radiation using morphometric geometrics (SYNTHESYS program BE-TAF 560)
- Exploring the influence of the evolution of palaeogeography on the erosion of trilobite diversity during Carboniferous and Permian times.       

III. THE ONTOGENY OF TRILOBITES
The early calcification of trilobite exoskeleton has permitted the preservation of their ontogenetical sequence from larvae to adults. Accordingly, trilobites offer a rare opportunity to investigate developmental processes in primitive arthropods. They also represent a particularly good model to explore the relationships between evolution and development. In addition, ontogenetical data are crucial in assessing phylogenetical relationships within the Trilobita.   

*** Current Projects ***
- investigating the ontogeny of Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous trilobites from Thuringia
- evaluating the impact of developmental strategies on the survivorships of Proetida during the Late Devonian biocrises.
     

 

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