Project Details
Projekt
Ontogeny and evolution of feeding in temnospondyls
Applicant
Dr. Daniel Schwarz
Subject Area
Palaeontology
Term
since 2024
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 508778113
The fish-to-tetrapod transition involved significant changes in the tetrapod feeding apparatus, which includes, among other elements: jaws, teeth, hyobranchial apparatus and branchial dentition, and the connecting soft tissues. Despite many evolutionary changes, there is some superficial conservation in the form and function of the feeding apparatus across distant groups. Since the form and function of anatomical structures act as a functional unit (i.e. the form-function complex), conclusions on early tetrapod feeding may be drawn from the form and function of the feeding apparatus of recent taxa. However, because early tetrapods were quite diverse, more specific considerations are necessary to study the evolution of feeding in early tetrapods. Due to their phylogenetic position, diverse lifestyles, and various morphologies, temnospondyls are particularly attractive research objects to answer questions regarding the evolution of early tetrapods. The diverse temnospondyl feeding morphologies represent a reasonable basis for studying the evolution of vertebrate feeding behaviours. Fossils provide evidence of the diverse ex-osseous feeding structures in early tetrapods. Soft anatomical traits of extinct taxa can be inferred using a combination of Extant Phylogenetic Bracketing and studying fossils using high-resolution imaging techniques. Further, fossilised stomach contents, bromalites, coprolites, and bite marks on bones of prey offer direct evidence of feeding behaviour and diet. The objectives of the project are to document and recognise the diversity of temnospondyl feeding apparatus morphologies and their ontogeny and evolution under different phylogenetic scenarios. Muscle scars, pits, and tendon insertion sites will be identified, and after a detailed reconstruction of the components of the feeding apparatus, their functioning will be reconstructed. The study will integrate 3D anatomy, biomechanics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and finite element analysis (FEA). Extant taxa like salamanders will provide a framework for identifying osteological correlates and their functioning in temnospondyls. FEA and CFD will simulate aquatic and terrestrial feeding techniques based on kinematics from recent analogues and temnospondyl reconstructions. The form and function of these systems will be traced through ontogeny and mapped onto phylogeny. Finally, a synthesis will integrate morphotypes, functional analyses, and dietary information to establish a comprehensive map of early tetrapod feeding, revealing the relationship between morphology and function. Overall, the project aims to understand better the feeding apparatus in early tetrapods, its evolutionary changes, and its function. Integrating various methods and data from extant and fossil taxa will contribute to a comprehensive analysis of the fish-to-tetrapod transition and the feeding behaviour of early tetrapods.
DFG Programme
Research Units
International Connection
Belgium, United Kingdom
Cooperation Partners
Dr. Stephan Lautenschlager; Professor Dr. Sam Van Wassenbergh
