Université du Québec à Rimouski
Ph.D. candidate
Supervisor: Richard Cloutier
Zelditch, Miriam L.
Start: 2010-09-01
End: 2018-04-01

Project

Median and paired fin disparity and modularity in lower vertebrates
Fishes are an extremely diverse assemblage with correspondingly high levels of morphological disparity in many aspects of their morphology. Part of this disparity concerns the numerous possible fin configurations. This PhD research proposal aims (1) to address the morphological disparity observed for all sets of fins, both in terms of their presence/absence and of their relative positioning, (2) to investigate hypotheses of fin positional modularity at the microevolutionary level, (3) and to verify if these hypotheses of modularity can be extended to the macroevolutionary scale. This will be done following a phylogenetic perspective which will take into account all major orders of extant and fossil fishes.

Keywords

Fishes, morphology, Morphological disparity, Modularity, geometric morphometrics, evolution, phylogeny