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Scleritome

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Book cover Dynamic Paleontology

Part of the book series: Springer Geology ((SPRINGERGEOL))

Abstract

What controls the geometry of the scleritome mosaic? Does it have any relationship to the rapid, major morphological changes? Morphogenetic field analysis helps to explain, by means of laws of morphogenetic evolution , the geometrical patterning of sclerites in a scleritome. Many cases of convergent evolution may thus be viewed as torologous relationships because of the underlying toroidal shape of the scleritome grid. Rapid transformation of morphogenetic fields played a role in the process that led to the appearance new phyla during the Cambrian Explosion .

All great deeds and all great thoughts have ridiculous beginnings.

Albert Camus (1913–1960)

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  1. Department of Geology and Geography, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA, USA

    Mark A. S. McMenamin

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Correspondence to Mark A. S. McMenamin .

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McMenamin, M.A.S. (2016). Scleritome. In: Dynamic Paleontology. Springer Geology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22777-1_1

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