Research in the Evolutionary Morphology Research Group (⇒EvoMoRG) is at the interface between palaeobiology and evolutionary developmental biology of vertebrates for better understanding their evolutionary history. The overarching topic of our research concerns the development and evolution of characters and biodiversity patterns of vertebrates in deep time. For this, we employ multidisciplinary approaches to understand evolutionary processes, morphological rate changes, adaptive trait developments, and diversity patterns at the broadest temporal and spatial scales. Chondrichthyan fishes also are used as model organisms because they display conserved but also highly derived traits (e.g., reduction of a bony dermal and endoskeleton) within gnathostomes. Our research, however, is not restricted to chondrichthyan fishes but also includes bony fishes, reptiles, and mammals. Major topics are Evolution of Diversity and Disparity of Fishes, Evolutionary Developmental Morphology of Cartilaginous Fishes, and Evolutionary Functional Morphology.