Research interests/expertise: Early vertebrate diversity and evolution, the reconstruction of evolutionary pattern and process, and the uses of fossils and systematic methods in evolutionary developmental biology.

Michael started his research career studying Scottish fossil fish, and these have remained central to his work throughout subsequent years. His research covers multiple aspects of early vertebrate evolution and ongoing projects are outlined below. He currently chairs the Department of Organismal Biology at the University of Chicago.

Diversification and paleobiology of early sharks: The early shark-like fishes (chondrichthyans) include the roots of modern sharks, rays, and chimaeroids (rat fishes). Although modern sharks tend to be treated as primitive relics, they differ markedly from their Palaeozoic forebears. The aim of the chondrichthyan project is to bridge the gap and resolve early chondrichthyan evolution. Digital imaging techniques are already revealing sophisticated structure and function among some of the earliest members of this remarkable lineage.

The bush at the base of the actinopterygian tree: The ray-finned fishes (from sturgeon to clownfish) are the largest and most diverse living vertebrate group, but little has been agreed about the timing and pattern of their early evolution. Current work uses a total-evidence approach combining fossils with molecular sequence data to make sense of this largest and least explored resource of the vertebrate fossil record.

End-Devonian extinction: The end-Devonian extinction (c.359 million years ago) eliminated many of the dominant groups in the so-called ‘age of fishes’. The aftermath covers major diversification among the survivors which include the origins of the modern vertebrate fauna. Research foci include the timing of these radiations relative to the extinction event, and the selectivity and ecological impact of the extinctions.

Phylogenetics and paleobiology of early tetrapods: Living tetrapods range from humans to horny toads and all points in-between. The origin of tetrapods in the Devonian period (c.375 million years ago) is one of the classic questions of vertebrate evolutionary biology, encompassing phylogeny, the emergence of anatomical novelties, and paleoecology.

Evolution and development: Previous projects have included the origin of the vertebrate vertebral column and the fin-to-limb transition. Current projects include ongoing collaborations with zebrafish labs to study the diversity of anterior lateral line networks and their relationship with craniofacial development, particularly the dermal bones of the skull.