Life Sciences Academic Edits Key Collection of Research Papers into Early Vertebrates
Lincoln academic Dr Marcello Ruta from the School of Life Sciences has co-edited a new collection of research papers which bring together some of the most recent breakthroughs in the study of early fish, amphibians and reptiles.
The volume of Earth and Environmental Science Transaction of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, edited alongside colleagues from Department of Organismal Biology at Uppsala University and the University Museum of Zoology in Cambridge, is a special volume celebrating the career and achievements of Professor Jennifer Clack, FRS, FLS, Professor Emeritus and Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology at the University Museum of Zoology in Cambridge.
Research into this area has advanced considerably in the last few decades as the result of major fossil discoveries, the establishment of evolutionary developmental biology as a central discipline and technological advancements in image data analysis. The 21 papers showcase the latest work on the anatomy, biomechanics, evolution, ecology and distribution of these creatures. In all these areas, Professor Clack has played an integral role.
Dr Ruta said: “This volume is a solid testament to Jenny’s scholarly influence and transformative contributions to vertebrate palaeontology. Her research has reset our understanding of the emergence of tetrapods from fish, casting light on the transition from fins to limbs and the key modifications in hearing, feeding, breathing, and locomotory mechanisms.
“Jenny is a true polymath with a keen eye for anatomical detail, a natural thirst for knowledge, and an unsurpassed ability to challenge conventional wisdom through ground-breaking and paradigm-shifting discoveries.”
Co-editor Professor Per Ahlberg from Uppsala University’s Department of Organismal Biology said: “Studies of early vertebrates benefit enormously from cross-disciplinary approaches and technological innovations, especially in image data acquisition and processing.
“Several contributions to the volume combine traditional methods of fossil observation with advanced microcomputed tomographic scanning techniques for building 3D models of delicate fossil structures. As a result, it is now possible to make reliable inferences about the mode of development and even the size of the genome of extinct vertebrates.
“Jenny has embraced – and often pioneered – many of the innovative approaches to the study of fossil vertebrates that feature routinely in current publications in the field. Her scientific foresight is unique.”
Dr Tim Smithson from University Museum of Zoology in Cambridge added: “These are exciting times for anyone interested in the evolution of vertebrates. We hope that this volume will encourage the next generation of vertebrate palaeontologists to use these innovative approaches to add to our understanding of the interrelationships of major vertebrate groups, the links between structural, functional, and ecological innovations, and the origin of anatomical complexity.
“Jenny’s work has had a major impact in all these areas but she would be the first to recognize that there is much yet to learn.”
The special issue entitled Fossils, Function and Phylogeny: Papers on Early Vertebrate Evolution in Honour of Professor Jennifer A. Clack is available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/earth-and-environmental-science-transactions-of-royal-society-of-edinburgh/issue/B7649DCA66911044B010241C00E8DA45