My thesis focuses on the evolution of the genus Polygnathus (Conodonta) during the Devonian. Known for more than 40 million years, from the Lower Devonian to the Lower Carboniferous, the genus Polygnathus went through several major biotic crises.
My research focuses on the mouthparts of these animals, the only mineralised parts available in the fossil record. The aim of my thesis is to highlight whether patterns of evolutionary convergence in response to crises exist and to determine whether environmental factors played a role.
To answer these questions, I use 2D and 3D morphological analysis techniques to quantify morphological variation across the crises that punctuate the Devonian.