WASHINGTON (May 27, 2026) – A new study in Nature Communications explores how reef fish such as surgeonfish and unicornfish have evolved over the last 60 million years. This research sheds light on how changing oceans have impacted modern coral reef ecosystems.
The paper, “Ecological and genomic signatures of the convergent evolution of planktivory in fossil and living reef fishes over deep time” was led by GW postdoctoral researcher Aintzane Santaquiteria Gil in the lab of Guillermo Orti, chair of GW’s Department of Biological Sciences.
The study uses genomic analysis, fossils and climate-related data to understand how changes in diet drove the evolution of acanthuroid reef fishes. The findings uncover how reef fish have adapted after major environmental and ecological changes in Earth’s oceans.
If you’re interested in learning more about marine ecosystems and how reef fish adapted to changing climates and food sources, please contact Claire Sabin at claire [dot] sabin
gwu [dot] edu (claire[dot]sabin[at]gwu[dot]edu).
-GW-