Research

	In the most general sense, my research program uses analytical disciplines of comparative biology in fossil and living cartilaginous and bony fishes to elucidate the diversification, extinction, quality of the fossil record, shapes of phylogenies, and biogeographic patterns of extinct marine fishes. Consequently, the approach used is an interdisciplinary one including phylogenetic analyses to establish organismal interrelationships, and diversity and extinction analyses to reconstruct global and local diversity patterns. Rates of origination and extinction and the simple completeness metric are used to scrutinize effects of extinction events and the quality of the fossil record on fishes. Four main topics form the focus of my current research.
1.	Evolution and diversity of Mesozoic and Cenozoic fishes. The phylogeny of Mesozoic and Cenozoic neoselachians and non-teleostean neopterygians (e.g. Pycnodontiformes) is explored using cladistic principles. The basis for the phylogenetic analyses are morphological and molecular data. The aim is to develop a comprehensive phylogeny of Mesozoic to extant neoselachians and selected actinopterygian groups.
2.	Diversity changes and paleobiogeographic distribution patterns of Mesozoic and Cenozoic marine fish groups. This research is directed at measuring the diversity and extinction by applying modern analytical techniques and at elucidating the impact of a-biotic events (e.g. climatic changes, extinction events, closing/opening of seaways) triggering diversity changes. So far, the study concentrated on Northern Hemisphere and southern South America-Antarctic faunas.
3.	The evolution of feeding mechanics in fish. This research is dedicated at reconstructing soft parts (muscles, ligaments) in fossil fish groups based on comparisons with closely related extant taxa and detailed analyses of the jaw apparatus in fossils and deducing functional patterns. Both paradigm and phylogenetic approaches are used. The evolution of feeding mechanics is traced to establish models about the development of characters related to feeding
4.	Palaeontology of the Late Jurassic to Late Cretaceous in East Spain. This research combines a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate groups (ostracods, fishes, "reptilians") and sedimentological data. Of special interest is the onset of the marine sedimentation in the latest Albian after a longer continental period. The main aim of this project is to establish the early evolution and development of modern fish assemblages and to reconstruct the diversity of Tethyal fish faunas.