The Fossil Record and Evolution of the Modern Herring: An Evolutionary Success Story

Herrings, sardines, anchovies, and related species united in a group of clupeomorph fishes originated over 130 million years ago, and successfully survived through the major extinction events and climatic changes to become one of the most abundant and commercially important groups of fish today. Oksana Vernygora of the University of Alberta introduces fossil and living members of the herring group, and discuss evolution of unique morphological features that could shed light on the evolutionary success of the group.