Robert K. Carr

Lecturer/Instructor Comparative Anatomy and General Biology laboratory

M.S., The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Ph.D., The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Gymnotrachelus hydei

Research
 
 

I am interested in questions concerning diversity and extinction and the evolutionary patterns and processes associated with these phenomena. Paleozoic gnathostomes provide an excellent opportunity to evaluate a number of these important evolutionary questions. During the Devonian there was a major radiation within this group. The water column, in which these fishes lived, was not devoid of other predators; however, the history of early vertebrates shows the origin and evolution of organisms with specializations in locomotion, feeding structures, and sensory organs, as well as central processing and coordination of sensory and motor systems.

Devonian sediments offer a unique and important view of early gnathostome history since they represent the largest estimated volume and geological map area for Paleozoic systems. Placoderms provide an excellent model for the analysis of evolutionary patterns and mechanisms at a time early in gnathostome history.

My interest in the evolution of early gnathostomes has combined phylogeny, evolution, ecology, and functional morphology of Arthrodira (Class Placodermi) in the context of global gnathostome patterns. This study has required a major revision of the systematics of arthrodires centering on North American fossils from the Appalachian and Michigan Basins.

Ongoing field work is being conducted in the Michigan and Catskill (Appalachian) Basins to document faunal patterns within the basins before and after three major global extinction events.

Sedimentological and fossil evidence are being used to evaluate autecology and community ecology within and among basins. Additionally, postmortem patterns are used to determine the sources of fossil material because organisms are often preserved in areas outside their natural habitat.
 
 

Recent Publications

Carr, R. K., 1991. Reanalysis of Heintzichthys gouldii, an aspinothoracid arthrodire (Placodermi), from the Cleveland Shale (Famennian) of Northern Ohio, U. S. A., with a systematic review of brachythoracid arthrodires. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 103(4):349–390.

Carr, R. K., 1994. A redescription of Gymnotrachelus hydei (Placodermi, Arthrodira) from the Cleveland Shale (Famennian) of northern Ohio, U. S. A. Kirtlandia. Cleveland Museum of Natural  History, 48:3–21.

Carr, R. K., 1995a. Placoderm diversity and evolution. VIIth International Symposium: Studies on Early Vertebrates. Bulletin du Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 17:85-125.

Carr, R. K., 1995b. Opportunity knocked and no one was home: Aspinothoracid arthrodires (Placodermi) from the Ohio Shale Formation (Upper Devonian, North America). Geobios 19:81­­–83.

Carr, R. K., and W. J. Hlavin, 1995c. Dinichthyidae (Placodermi): A paleontological fiction? Geobios 19:85–87.

Carr, R. K., 1996. Stenosteus angustopectus sp. nov. from the Cleveland Shale (Famennian) of northern Ohio with a review of selenosteid (Placodermi) systematics. Kirtlandia 49:19–43.

Elliot, D. K., H. G. Johnson, R. Cloutier, R. K. Carr, and E. B. Daeschler, 2000. Middle and Late Devonian vertebrates of the western Old Red Sandstone Continent. In Blieck, A. and S. Turner (eds). Palaeozoic Vertebrate Biochronology and Global Marine/Non-marine Correlation, Final Report of IGCP 328 (1991-1996). Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 223:291-308.

Carr, R. K., 2004. Recognizing paraphyletic stem groups: A case study in the analysis of eubrachythoracid arthrodires (Placodermi). In G. Arratia, M.V.H. Wilson, and R. Cloutier (eds.) p. 127-138; Recent Advances in the Origin and Early Radiation of the Vertebrates. Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, München, Germany.

 

Carr, R. K. and G. L. Jackson, 2005. Diplognathus lafargei sp. Nov. from the Antrim Shale (Upper Devonian) of the Michigan Basin, Michigan, U.S.A. Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia 8(2):109-116.

 

Carr, R. K. and G. L. Jackson, 2006. The vertebrate fauna of the Cleveland Shale (Famennian, northern Ohio). Field Guide, Geological Society of America, North-Central Section Meeting 2006.

 

Carr, R. K., (in press). Paleoecology of Dunleosteus terrelli (Placodermi: Arthrodira). Kirtlandia, Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

 

Carr, R. K. and G. L. Jackson, (in press). The vertebrate fauna of the Cleveland Shale (Famennian, northern Ohio). Ohio Geological Survey, Field Guide.

 

Carr, R. K., H. Lelièvre, and G. L. Jackson, (in press). The ancestral morphotype for the gnathostome pectoral fin revisited, with new pachyosteomorph (Arthrodira) fin material adding to the understanding of the placoderm condition. In Xiaobo, Y., J. Maisey, and D. Miao (eds.) Fossil Fishes and Related Biota: Morphology, Phylogeny and Paleobiography – In Honor of Meemann Chang. Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, München, Germany.

 

Lelièvre , H. and R. K. Carr, (in press). The occipital-synarcual complex in Nefudina qalibahensis. Journal of vertebrate Paleontology.

 

Carr, R. K., Z. Johanson, and A. Ritchie, (in press). The phyllolepid placoderm Cowralepis mclachlani: insights into the evolution of feeding mechanisms in jawed vertebrates. Journal of Morphology.

 

Johanson, Z, R. K. Carr, and A. Ritchie, (in press). Vertebral development in the gnathostome stem group: Fusion, gene misexpression, and homeotic transformations. International Journal of Developmental Biology.

 

Carr, R. K., and W. Hlavin, (in review). New species of Dunkleosteus Lehman, 1956, from the Ohio Shale Formation (U.S.A., Famennian) and the Kettle Point Formation (Canada, Upper Devonian) and a cladistic analysis of the Eubrachythoraci (Placodermi). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (London)

 

Posters:

Carr, R. K. and G. L. Jackson, 2002. New information on an old fish: Bungartius perissus (Placodermi: Arthrodira). 62nd Annual Meeting, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Norman, Oklahoma.

 

Jones, K. and R. K. Carr, 2004. New discoveries of placoderm fishes from the Callaway Facies of the Cedar Valley Limestone (Middle Devonian) of Callaway County, Missuori, U.S.A. Xth International Symposium on Early Vertebrates/Lower Vertebrates, Gramado, Brazil.

 

Carr, R. K., 2004. Teaching Comparative anatomy: A place for pedagogical theory and practice. International Congress for Vertebrate Morphology, Boca Raton, FL.

 

Jackson, G. L. and R. K. Carr, 2006. New information on the pectoral fin in Placodermi from the Late Devonian Cleveland Shale fauna (Framennian of northern Ohio). 66th Annual Meeting Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Ottawa, Canada.

 

Carr R. K., 2007. Coccosteomorph arthrodires from the Devonian of North America: Fact or fiction? 1st International Symposium on Palaeobiogeography, Paris, France.

 

Carr, R. K., Z. Johanson, and A. Ritchie, 2007. Fossil evidence (Pisces; Placodermi) for the paired origin of basibranchials and their origin from neural crest. 8th International Congress for Vertebrate Morphology, Paris, France.

 

Storrs, G., G. Kampouris, and R. K. Carr, 2008. New insights into the anatomy and function of Dunkleosteus terrelli (Newberry), a giant arthrodire from the famennian Cleveland Shale of Ohio.  68th Annual Meeting Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Cleveland, OH.

Published Abstracts:

Carr, R. K., 1989a. A reanalysis of Heintzichthys gouldii. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 8 Supplement to No. 3:10A-11A.

Carr, R. K., 1989b. Diversity of placoderms (Pisces) in the Late Devonian. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 9, Supplement to No. 3:15A

Carr, R. K., 1990. Two new dinichthyid arthrodires (Placodermi) from the Upper Devonian of Ontario (Michigan Basin) and Ohio (Catskill Basin). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 10, Supplement to No. 3:16A-17A.

Carr, R. K., 1992. Ecology of Dunkleosteus terrelli (Arthrodira) within the Catskill Basin (North America). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 12, Supplement to No. 3:21A.

Hannibal, J. T., R. K. Carr, and C. J. Frye, 1992. Tintenflecken from the Michigan Basin: preservation, ontogeny, and variation of aptychi found in Upper Devonian rocks at Paxton, Michigan. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, 24(7):224.

Carr, R. K. and G. L. Jackson, 2002. New information on an old fish: Bungartius perissus (Placodermi: Arthrodira). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Supplement to No. 3.

Carr, R. K., 2004a. Teaching Comparative anatomy: A place for pedagogical theory and practice. Journal of Morphology 260(3):281.

Carr, R. K., 2004b. Recognition and interpretation of snout elongation and the anterior neurocranium in brachythoracid arthrodires (Placodermi). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 24,  Supplement to no. 3.

Carr, R. K. and G. L. Jackson, 2005. The pattern of durophagy among the Late Devonian arthrodires (Placodermi). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25, Supplement to no. 3.

Jackson, G. L. and R. K. Carr, 2006. New information on the pectoral fin in Placodermi from the Late Devonian Cleveland Shale fauna (Framennian of northern Ohio). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26, Supplement to no. 3.

Carr, R. K., Z. Johanson, and A. Ritchie, 2007a. Fossil evidence (Pisces; Placodermi) for the paired origin of basibranchials and their derivation from neural crest. Journal of Morphology Abstracts.

Carr, R. K., Z. Johanson, and A. Ritchie, 2007b. Ontogeny and phylogeny of the gnathostome branchial skeleton. 40th Anniversary Symposium on Early Vertebrates/Lower Vertebrates, Uppsala. Ichthyolith Issues Special Publication 19: 24-25.

Johanson, Z., R. K. Carr, and A. Ritchie, 2007. Segmental identity within the vertebral column: what can fossils tell us? Journal of Morphology Abstracts: 61.

Carr, R. K. and G. L. Jackson, 2008. The Cleveland Shale fauna revisited: Is the fauna the standard for comparison in the Famennian and Late Devonian? Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28, Supplement to no. 3.

                            

PRESENTATIONS (without separate abstract publication)

Carr, R. K. and E. Mark-Kurik, 1998. Reanalysis of Heterostius and Homostius (brachythoracid arthrodires: Placodermi): Implications on systematics and paleogeography. IGCP 406 Meeting on Circum-Arctic Palaeozoic Faunas and Facies, Warsaw, Poland.

Carr, R. K., 1999. Reanalysis of Homostius. 47th Symposium of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy, Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Carr, R. K., 2000. Recognizing paraphyletic stem groups: A case study in the analysis of Protitanichthys (Placodermi, Arthrodira). 9th International Meeting Early Vertebrates/Lower Vertebrates, Flagstaff, AZ, May 15-19, 2000.

Kampouris, G. E. and R. K. Carr, 2000. Revision of Protitanichthys, a pachyosteomorph arthrodire from the Middle Devonian (Early Givetian) of the Michigan and Appalachian basins. 9th International Meeting Early Vertebrates/Lower Vertebrates, Flagstaff, AZ, May 15-19, 2000.

Carr, R. K., 2002. Phylogenetic systematics and the arthrodires (Placodermi): Why haven’t we reached a consensus? First International Palaeontolgical Congress, Sydney, Australia, 5-10 July 2002.

Carr, R. K., 2004. Diplognathus lafargei sp. nov. from the Antrim Shale (Upper Devonian) of the Michigan Basin, Michigan, U.S.A. 10th International Meeting Early Vertebrates/Lower Vertebrates, Gramado, Brazil, May 2004.

Carr, R. K., 2004. A tale of two histories: Devonian fishes and their impact on the history of science in Ohio. 1st Annual Ohio Natural History Conference, Columbus, OH, 28 Feb 2004.

Carr, R. K., 2005. A tale of two histories: Devonian fishes and their impact on the history of science in Ohio: What fossils can tell biologists about living organisms? Invited department seminar, Heidelberg College, Tiffin, OH (21 April).

Carr, R. K., 2006. A tale of two histories: Devonian fishes and their impact on the history of science in Ohio. Invited speaker North Coast Fossil Club, Cleveland, OH.

Carr, R. K., Z. Johanson, and A. Ritchie, 2007. Ontogeny and phylogeny of the gnathostome branchial skeleton. 11th International Symposium on Lower/Early Vertebrates, Uppsala, Sweden.

Carr, R. K., Z. Johanson, A. Ritchie, H. Lelièvre, and D. Goujet, 2007. The contributions of placoderms to our understanding of the ontogeny and evolution of early gnathostomes. 55th Annual Meeting, Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy, Glasgow, UK.

Johanson, Z., R. K. Carr, and A. Ritchie, 2007a. Segmental identity within the vertebral column: what can fossils tell us? 55th Annual Meeting, Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy, Glasgow, UK.

Johanson, Z., R. K. Carr, and A. Ritchie, 2007b. Segmental identity within the vertebral column: what can fossils tell us? 7th UK Evolutionary Developmental Biology Meeting. 7th September 2007, Guys Campus, King's College London.

Johanson, Z., R. K. Carr, and A. Ritchie, 2008. The contribution of placoderms to our understanding of the ontogeny and evolution of early gnathostomes. European Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology, 2nd EURO EVO DEVO Meeting, 29Jul–1Aug 2008, Ghent, Belgium.

 
 

Courses Taught
 
 

COMPARATIVE VERTEBRATE ANATOMY

(BIOS 303 — Lecturer/Laboratory Instructor)

Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy is presented as an integrative science developing an understanding of organisms, their parts and functional systems, development, evolution, and ecology. An integrative presentation demonstrates the reciprocal importance of other biological disciplines in understanding comparative anatomy and evolution. It provides an organismal context for students interested in these other disciplines, including pre-medical programs. This approach requires the combination of data from classical comparative anatomy with current developmental, ecological, and theoretical research. It provides students with an exposure both to underlying principles and to current theory.

INTRODUCTION TO ZOOLOGY LABORATORY

(BIOS 170 — Laboratory Instructor)
 

Address, Phone, E-mail:

Dept. of Biological Sciences

Irvine Hall

Ohio University

Athens, OH 45701

(740) 593-2290

 carrr1@ohio.edu

Links

Life in the Devonian