3D exploration of the pores of recent and fossil ornate Bairdiidae (Ostracoda)
Résumé
Ostracods from the family Bairdiidae have been components of marine ecosystems since the Ordovician. In their long history, the Triassic was a major turning point with the explosive diversification of ornate forms: ornate Bairdiidae are still present in modern environments but the phylogenetic link between Triassic and modern taxa remains unresolved. The classification of fossil Bairdiidae has not evolved since the 1960s and the use of ornamentation in the systematic of ornate taxa remains highly debated. The significance of pores in the taxonomy and phylogeny of ostracods is widely acknowledged but has never been investigated in the case of Bairdiidae. Here, we present the first results of an investigation of Recent and Triassic ornate Bairdiidae by X-ray computed tomography (CT) to observe and describe their pore systems. This investigation further highlights the implications of new imaging techniques in diverse fields of ostracodology, even in the absence of soft parts preservation.