Integrating morphology, fossils and molecules to evaluate major evolutionary events

Recent advances have provided a wealth of molecular data with which to build phylogenies and study evolutionary processes. Morphology, however, remains fundamental for reconstructing how organisms have changed and evolved through time. Indeed, it is usually the only kind of data yielded by fossils. However, a large gap exists between genomic and phenomic data limiting our ability to use either to evaluate evolutionary hypotheses. For example, which aspects of morphology are in accordance with molecular data and can be used to reliably reconstruct major evolutionary events? Do genetic innovations such as gene and genome duplication events match morphological innovation, integration or radiation? This project aims to address these outstanding questions by collating and integrating genetic, morphological, and morphometric datasets from across the tree of life. The combined datasets will not only provide a tool kit with which to better reconstruct morphological phylogenies but also to better evaluate the nature and tempo of evolutionary processes.