Research in the Evolutionary Morphology Research Group (EvoMoRG) at the Department of Palaeontology of the University of Vienna is at the interface between palaeobiology and evolutionary developmental biology of vertebrates. For this we integrate living and fossil organisms, knowledge of their evolutionary relationships, anatomy and morphology, developmental (palaeo)biology and genetic information, but also past diversity patterns to provide a holistic understanding of their evolutionary history. We have particular interests in, but not restricted to, the evolutionary origin, morphological rate changes, adaptive trait developments, and diversity and disparity patterns of modern sharks, skates, and rays as well as bony fishes at the broadest temporal and spatial scales. Central questions that we seek to answer are why certain groups became successful (in terms of taxonomic diversity or position within trophic food webs) or went extinct even when they were successful in deep time.

Infrastructure
Our lab has facilities for rock digestion, high-end micro-computed tomography (Bruker Skyscan 1173 Desktop-Micro-Computertomograph; click here for more information), 3D digital microscopy (Keyence VHX-6000, 20-2000x magnification), scanning electron microscopy, high performance computing for image data processing, micro- and macro-anatomical labs, and an aquarium infrastructure (click here for watching suction feeding of Hemiscyllium ocellatum) to support individual palaeobiological projects but also providing research services for other departments of the University of Vienna (e.g., Geology, Mineralogy, Anthropology, Zoology, and Theoretical Biology) and third parties.

Congratulations to Patrick Etzler, who successfully secured a study grant of the 'Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research' (approved by the Vienna Study Grant Authority) for three years to conduct a research project on the fossil parasites in vertebrate coprolites for his PhD! Congratulations to Eduardo Villalobos-Segura and his co-authors for winning the ‘Best Paper Awards 2024’ of the journal Diversity for their paper entitled ‘The phylogeny of rays and skates (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii) based on morphological characters revisited’ up Latest Publication 2024: The Fossil record and diversity of pycnodontiform fishes in non-marine environments. (Link) In this study, the non-marine fossil record of pycnodontiform fishes is reviewed and evaluated. The results show that the freshwater fossil record of pycnodonts was highest in the latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), which correlates with extreme climatic events, such as high temperatures resulting in high sea levels which regularly flooded continental masses, allowing these fishes easier access to non-marine habitats. This even might have played a role in their survival through the K/Pg extinction event. up Affiliations up Address Department of Paleontology University of Vienna, Geozentrum Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2 1090 Vienna, Austria Contact Our research is/was supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the CONICYT Chile, the Austrian Exchange Service (OeAD), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Marie-Curie Actions of the European Union, the SENACYT Panama, Sharkproject Austria, Synthesys, the University of Vienna, Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences (HEAS) Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE). and the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research.