Seilacher, Konstruktions‐Morphologie, Morphodynamics, and the Evolution of form

Abstract

Adolf Seilacher (1925-2014) was a German paleontologist who made the concept of Konstruktions-Morphologie (constructional morphology) his own, recognizing that organism morphology is not simply an adaptive response to selection pressure but incorporates phylogenetic and structural influences as well. He was particularly interested in "fabricational noise," nonadaptive features that are a consequence of available materials and modes of growth, but he also elucidated the nature of adaptive radiations-in bivalves and sand dollars, for example. His interpretations relied on detailed study of specimens, and during a long international career he investigated examples from almost every invertebrate fossil group resulting in his 2015 book Morphodynamics, a compilation of his observations and iconic drawings that was published after his death. Seilacher's insights and observations on fossils have the potential to generate hypotheses about evolutionary development that may eventually be tested experimentally.