Francesc Pérez Peris

I am an invertebrate paleontologist interested on the evolution of early Paleozoic arthropods, specifically a group of extinct arthropods called trilobites. Most of my research is focused on the trilobite diversification during the Ordovician Radiation, unraveling the evolutionary patterns of the group and understanding the mechanisms that causes such patterns. My work is primarily specimen-based, combining material sampled directly from the field with specimens deposited in museum collections. Following a bottom-up approach, first I acquire detailed knowledge about the morphology and the systematics of the group by carrying out detailed systematic studies of the fossils. The expertise that I acquired during the taxonomic work has been used to perform broader-scale studies, such as phylogenetic analysis, paleobiogeographic studies and paleoecological reconstructions. At the MCZ I will work on the trilobites from the Fezouata Biota, a Lower Ordovician Konservat-Lagerstätte from Morocco. The aims of my project are to reveal the trilobite diversity of the Fezouata Shale Biota, establish evolutionary links between major clades from the Cambrian and Early Ordovician trilobites, and compare the Fezouata Shale trilobite assemblage with other West Gondwana basins.