Projektnummer

0054471

Zusammenfassung

It is hypothesized that the great evolutionary success of ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii), and in particular the Teleostei, which comprises over half of all living vertebrate species, is strongly linked to the advent of suction feeding, the common feeding mode in an aquatic environment. The diverse jaw morphology and the associated musculature have been used to understand the evolution of the fishes. Virtually all studies of these systems have examined only adult representatives and the results have been unsatisfying. The relationships of most of the major clades are still unresolve...