Feeding in jawless vertebrates and the origin of vertebrate jaws

We propose an synchrotron radiation-based tomographic study of the oral plates of osteostracans from the Silurian of Estonia. Osteostracans are extinct jawless fish, sister to jawed vertebrates and, as such, inform on the evolution of traits that define jawed vertebrates, including their jaws and teeth. We will the only two known specimens of osteostracan that preserve their oral plates in situ and use these data to (1) establish their tissue and anatomical homologies to vertebrate jaws, (2) construct computed tomographic models from which meshes can be derived for range of motion (ROM), Finite Elements Analysis (FEA) and Computed Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses that will inform on (3) their range of motion and function. These results will not only provide fundamental insights into the anatomy and feeding ecology of the sister lineage of jawed vertebrates, but also provide insight into the nature of the ancestral jawed vertebrate.