Analysing the evolution of form and function in sand dollars

Understanding how the environment has shaped the evolution of form and function is a key question in evolutionary biology, yet still not well-understood.

For example, while it is clear that marine species are strongly influenced by their fluid environment (i.e., the ocean), the extent to which this has driven their evolution remains uncertain. This project will address this by investigating the role of fluid mechanics in shaping the evolution of body plans.

Sand dollars are diverse and abundant in today's oceans and have one of the best fossil records for any animal group.

They are adapted to live in high-energy nearshore environments, yet the role of moving fluids in shaping their body plans is unclear.

Using high-resolution 3D morphometrics, the student will use phylogenetic and statistical modelling to characterize the pattern and pace of sand dollar evolution, uncovering when and how they evolved their flattened, disc-shaped body plan.