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.
ICVM 2025: Eduardo Villalobos Segura and Cathrin Pfaff (both University of Vienna) and Faviel López-Romero (National Autonomous University of Mexico) will host a special symposium entitled Anatomy and functional morphology of cartilaginous fishes at this year's virtual International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology.
Congratulations to Sebastian Stumpf for successfully securing a FWF project, entitled Macroevolutionary dynamics of Mesozoic hybodontiform fishes!
NEW research projects in vertebrate palaeobiology for bachelor and master theses are available.
For enquiries contact
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kriwet (juergen.kriwet@univie.ac.at) or Dr. Cathrin Pfaff (cathrin.pfaff@univie.ac.at).
2025: Drivers of diversification in sharks and rays (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii). (Link)
2025: New Evidence for the contemporary presence of juvenile
white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in the Adriatic Sea. (Link)
2025: New insights on the shell-crusher shark Ptychodus decurrens Agassiz, 1838 (Elasmobranchii, Ptychodontidae) based on the first known articulated dentition from the Upper Cretaceous of Croatia. (Link)