Information about training programme

• Title of training: Elasmobranch teeth enameloid microstructure as a taxonomic criterion
• Description of project: Isolated teeth might be quite difficult to identify on morphological grounds alone. We propose therefore a training programme in the study of enameloid microstructure to help differentiate between different clades of elasmobranchs, namely Batoidea, Galea, Squalea and Hybodontiformes. The project will be based primarily on the study of fossil teeth, but may be performed on teeth from modern species as well.
• Duration of training: 3 weeks

Type of training

1. Practical experiences
• Identification of isolated shark teeth based on morphological characters
• Preparation of samples for study of enameloid microstructure with a Scanning Electron Microscope
• Acquisition and processing of digital images
• tudy of the emergence and evolution of modern group of elasmobranch in the fossil record
• Experience in writing a scientific paper
2. Lectures
• Systematic of Hybodontiformes, Batoidea, Galea and Squalea
• Impact of mass extinctions (Permo-Triassic, Triassic/Jurassic and K/T) on the evolution of elasmobranchs
• Intro to collection management
3. Seminars
• Freshwater elasmobranchs
• Sharks and the K/T boundary

Contact information of mentor / supervisor

• Name of mentor / supervisor: Dr Gilles Cuny
• Institution / Organisation: Natural History Museum of Denmark
• EDIT partner number: 3
• Unit / Department / Laboratory:Department of Geology
• Address: Øster Voldgade 5-7 // 1350 Copenhagen K
• Indicative time period when mentor is not available: November 2008

Target audience: MSc students, PhD students as well as early career researchers.