Diving Deeper: Leveraging the Chondrichthyan Fossil Record to Investigate Environmental, Ecological, and Biological Change

Abstract

The extensive chondrichthyan fossil record spans 400+ million years and has a global distribution. Paleontological studies provide a foundation of description and taxonomy to support deeper forays into ecology and evolution considering geographic, morphologic, and functional changes through time with nonanalog species and climate states. Although chondrichthyan teeth are most studied, analyses of dermal denticle metrics and soft tissue imprints are increasing. Recent methodological advances in morphology and geochemistry are elucidating fine-scale details, whereas large datasets and ecological modeling are broadening taxonomic, temporal, and geographic perspectives. The combination of ecological metrics and modeling with environmental reconstruction and climate simulations is opening new horizons to explore form and function, demographic dynamics, and food web structure in ancient marine ecosystems. Ultimately, the traits and taxa that endured or perished during the many catastrophic upheaval events in Earth's history contribute to conservation paleobiology, which is a much-needed perspective for extant chondrichthyans. ▪ The longevity and abundance of the chondrichthyan fossil record elucidates facets of ecological, evolutionary, and environmental histories. ▪ Though lacking postcranial, mineralized skeletons, dental enameloid and dermal denticles exquisitely preserve morphology and geochemistry. ▪ Technical advances in imaging, geochemistry, and modeling clarify the linkages between form and function with respect to physiology, diet, and environment. ▪ Conservation efforts can benefit from the temporal and spatial perspective of chondrichthyan persistence through past global change events.