Skull and brain evolution through ontogeny in the Australian lungfish

Project description

Lungfish are one of two surviving groups of piscine lobe-finned fishes (close relatives of the terrestrial tetrapods). Of the three extant genera, the Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) is generally considered least derived and thus retains more basal traits compared to the other genera. However, relatively little is known about the brain of this enigmatic fish, especially how its brain changes through ontogeny (as the animal grows from hatching to adult) In collaboration with colleagues at Tokyo University, this project will use cutting edge imaging (synchrotron scanning) methods to scan the brains and skulls of an ontogenetic series of Australian lungfish. Specialised software will be used to segment the skull and brains, which will then be analysed using 3D geometric morphometrics to comprehensively analyse the brain-skull relationship of this important taxon during development. There is opportunity to then use these data to interpret the cranial endocasts of exceptionally-preserved fossil lungfishes to elucidate how the brain has evolved in this lineage during the last 400 million years.

Co-supervisors

Co-supervisor: A/Prof. Vera Weisbecker (Flinders University) ·       External supervisor: Dr Tatsuya Hirasawa (Tokyo University)

Assumed knowledge

Some knowledge of ichthyology and/or vertebrate anatomy and morphology is assumed Awareness of geometric morphometric and scanning/imaging methods is beneficial Interest in neurobiology and/or brain evolution useful

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