Blom's research group - Early vertebrate evolution

Osteostracan fossils

Jawless verterbrates from the Silurian of the Baltic region provides information on the origin of the gnathostome body plan

The research activities of Henning Blom and his research group are built around the framework of using fossil data to describe and understand the evolutionary history of early vertebrates in general, and the origin and early evolution of gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates) and osteichthyans (bony fishes) in particular. Comparative anatomy of fossil and to some extent also recent animals is used in order to understand the morphological evolution and the acquisition of body plans. Patterns of relevance for understanding early vertebrate evolution also include taxonomical and morphological diversity, palaeoecology, as well as spatial and temporal distribution.