Meeting Abstract

2.4  Tuesday, Jan. 4  Evolutionary Trends in Functional Morphology Across a Phylogenetic MegaTree for all Fishes WESTNEAT, Mark; Field Museum of Natural History mwestneat@fieldmuseum.org

Major patterns of evolution in complex characters such as feeding and locomotor mechanisms often reveal a strikingly high frequency of independent origin or reversal across large phylogenetic trees. In this study a large and complex megatree of relationships among fishes was developed using classical and modern phylogenetic topologies to graft together a framework for the phylogeny of all fishes. The potential power of large megatrees lies in the ability to integrate information across many lineages, and to use the phylogenetic framework as a way to dynamically integrate multiple data sources that are harvested from online resources (GenBank, MorphBank, EOL). Phylogenetic mapping of jaw morphology and function at the species-level phylogenetic hierarchy and at the broader megatree level often shows fractal characteristics, with similar patterns reflected at both micro and macro levels. Recent work will be highlighted focusing on methods for constructing megatrees for vertebrates, analysis of functional characters at multiple levels, and new ways in which the visualization of large phylogenetic trees can reveal patterns of evolution across large portions of the entire tree of life.