Scott Lidgard continues his work on the evolution and ecology of cheilostome bryozoans, with a particular emphasis on species recognition and the relationships of colonial growth and form, for example, how different modes of growth relate to large-scale patterns of evolution, environmental distribution and ecology. Related research attempts to re-evaluate the role of competition in large-scale evolutionary replacements (e.g., dinosaurs vs. mammals, brachiopods vs. clams). Matthew Nitecki's work emphasizes the study of cyclocrinitids and receptaculitids, problematic fossils that do not fit into any living phylum, and thus represent early evolutionary experiments that prompt reconsideration of the history of life. He also writes on the history and sociology of science (e.g., the underlying structure of scientific attitudes and beliefs), and theories of evolutionary biology. Peter Wagner's research focuses on the origins and maintenance of morphological and taxic diversity, contrasting the evolutionary dynamics of "failures" (e.g., rostroconchs, paragastropods, bellerophontid gastropods) with those of very successful mollusks (e.g., gastropods). Other research examines the distribution of soft anatomy characters and morphogenetic trajectories across gastropod phylogeny. This research integrates paleontological and neontological data to examine the effects of developmental constraints on two basic aspects of biodiversity: numbers of morphologic types and numbers of species encompassed by those types. Other Geology Department Research: Fossil Amphibians and Reptiles | Fossil Fishes | Fossil Invertebrates | Fossil Mammals | Fossil Plants | Meteorites | Paleontology