Workshop: Computational Approaches to Theoretical Morphology, Santa Fe Institute, Fall 2001

Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe NM

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Workshop: Computational Approaches to Theoretical Morphology Douglas Erwin and David M. Raup EAR-0120510 Increased computer graphics capability and new software tools has facilitated the development of new approaches to Theoretical Morphology, the analysis of potential morphologies of groups of organisms independent of the morphologies which are known from today or from the fossil record. This workshop will bring together computer scientists, paleontologists and biologists to develop new theoretical morphological models. The focus of the workshop will be to further develop a mathematical model and associated computer simulation of the multi-plate sea urchin skeleton. The wealth of paleontological, evolutionary and developmental information about sea urchins makes this an excellent choice for such a model. Moreover, sea urchin growth involves multiple plates in a close-packing configuration, which is also true of a number of other groups. At this workshop we will further develop this sea urchin morphometric model, consider several, alternative, previously developed models, and consider initial tests of the model.