Origin and evolution of the tetrapod head

The overarching goal of this project is to determine how changes in the development of the brain and cranium influenced the major evolutionary transformations in head phenotype during the fish-tetrapod transition. The emergence of tetrapods (amphibians, reptiles and mammals) from fish-like ancestors is associated with fundamental changes in head geometry and architecture. Yet, the developmental mechanisms that underpin the emergence of the tetrapod head remain poorly understood. Here, we aim to fill this gap by performing high resolution phase contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography on developmental series of two key living species for reconstructing the origin of the tetrapod head: the Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) and the bowfin (Amia calva). These data will allow us: 1) to generate detailed 3D virtual reconstructions of the development of head hard and soft tissues3 of these species; 2) to describe quantitatively the variation in the form of the brain and cranium