Project Details
Projekt
Coordination Funds
Applicant
Professor Dr. Rainer Schoch
Subject Area
Geology
Term
since 2024
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 508778113
The last decades revealed that early tetrapods had very divergent ontogenies, which indicates the need for a systematic analysis of life histories in these long-extinct taxa. Life histories encompass ontogenetic traits such as size, rate of development, maturity and lifespan, which are all shaped by selection. The FOR includes six projects that address the evolution of life histories from different perspectives, integrating morphology, histology, microanatomy, phylogeny, functional morphology and physiology. The major objective is to merge the collected data in an inclusive evolutionary scenario. In this endeavor, the studied traits (growth, development, reproduction, locomotion, feeding, perception) will form the building stones for an inclusive life history reconstruction for each taxon, which will integrate the identified traits and finally model the evolutionary regimes under which the divergent life histories evolved. We will address the following questions. (A) What was the impact of body size and environmental variation on bone histology? We will analyze variation in bone tissue types at different levels: intraskeletal, intraspecific, interspecific, and variation along environmental clines. (B) What were early tetrapod life cycles like and how diverse were they? Here we integrate morphological data on ontogenetic phases (larval, neotenic or metamorphosing, adult) with bone histological data (changes in tissue type and skeletochronology) in order to identify and map the different ontogenies on a phylogeny of early tetrapods. (C) What do extant taxa and fossil life history traits tell us about early tetrapod life histories? This project develops the platform for an inclusive scenario of life history evolution in early tetrapods, which integrates bone histological, morphological and paleobiological data provided by the other projects. (D) What do bone microanatomy and ichnology tell us about the lifestyle and locomotion of early tetrapods? Bone microanatomy will help to identify aquatic or terrestrial adaptations and their changes through ontogeny. The study of ichnology aims to identify track-trackmaker relations and their implications for locomotion. Merging these data will constrain the probable mode of life for each studied taxon. (E) Which feeding techniques did early tetrapods employ and how did they change through ontogeny? 3D anatomy, biomechanics, computational fluid dynamics, and finite element analysis are integrated to gather data on the feeding apparatus. The project will merge primary evidence from the preserved skeletons with phylogenetic inference of functional traits observed in extant bracket taxa. (F) Which modes of hearing and vision did early tetrapods employ? This project adds the physiological perspective, examining the fossil evidence on the middle ear, lateral lines system, and eyes in early tetrapods. These data will also provide evidence for aquatic versus terrestrial adaptations and ontogenetic habitat changes.
DFG Programme
Research Units
