Fish Fossils: Paleontology’s Window to the Past
A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Taxonomy, Evolution, and Biogeography".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 18 April 2026 | Viewed by 19
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue aims to highlight the significance of fish fossils as key archives for understanding the evolutionary history of vertebrates, the evolution of vertebrate forms and functions, and the ecosystems they inhabited throughout evolutionary time. The fossil record, spanning over 500 million years, provides critical insights into major evolutionary transitions, such as the origins of jaws and the transition to land. We welcome contributions that leverage new discoveries and methodological innovations—including advanced imaging, geochemical analysis, and digital reconstruction—to interpret paleobiology, phylogenetic relationships, and responses to past environmental changes.
We encourage submissions ranging from descriptions of new taxa and functional morphological studies to integrative research that links paleontological data with modern evolutionary developmental biology. By showcasing these diverse approaches, this Special Issue seeks to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among paleontologists, evolutionary biologists, and earth scientists, ultimately enriching our understanding of the profound role fishes have played in shaping the history of life on Earth.
Dr. Tuo Qiao
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- paleoichthyology
- phylogeny
- evolution
- paleoenvironment
- imaging and analytical techniques
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