Science AI Journal
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Research topic

Open research questions in Evolution and Paleontology Studies

47 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 269 Evolution and Paleontology Studies papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The previous understanding of the species' range and chronology was incomplete. The study fills this gap by providing new evidence of the species' distribution and presence in the Late Pleistocene.

    First Find of Late Pleistocene Remains of the Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx torquatus, Pallas 1779) in the South of the Russian Far East · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could investigate the application of the Haar-like distance to other domains. Future research could compare the Haar-like distance with other phylogenetic β-diversity metrics. Future research could explore the use of other wavelet bases for sparsifying phylogenetic covariance matrices.

    The Phylogenetic Structure of $$\beta $$-diversity: Covariance Matrix Sparsification of Critical Beta-splitting Trees · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap is that uniform binary trees exhibit statistical features distinct from those of the trees used by practitioners. The gap is that prior phylogenetic β-diversity metrics do not readily point to splits in the reference tree that contribute most and least to the distance between any pair of environments.

    The Phylogenetic Structure of $$\beta $$-diversity: Covariance Matrix Sparsification of Critical Beta-splitting Trees · 2026 · DOI

  • The complexity of the geological history of the region. The difficulty in defining distinct groups within the large number of species. The need for further study of the fauna in the Balkan-Anatolian province.

    A new Oligocene genus of the Spalacidae (Rodentia) from the Balkan–Anatolian biogeographic province: spalacid relationships and their dispersal through time · 2026 · DOI

  • The collection had discrepancies regarding the quantity and identification of the fossils. The items were organized by taxon, which made inventorying difficult.

    PROCESSOS DE CONSERVAÇÃO DA COLEÇÃO DE MAMÍFEROS FÓSSEIS DE ITABORAÍ DO MUSEU DE CIÊNCIAS DA TERRA · 2026 · DOI

  • The study is limited by the small sample size. The complexity of the C. goodwini group makes it challenging to identify and describe new species. The lack of genetic sequencing data makes it difficult to confirm the relationships between species in the group.

    OP-394- Revisiting Subfossil Small-eared Shrews of the Genus <i>Cryptotis</i> Pomel, 1848 from Near Copán, Honduras, with the Description of a New Species (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Soricidae) · 2026 · DOI

  • Globalization is redistributing species worldwide, yet whether the traits and origins of non-native fauna have changed through time remains unclear.

    Two centuries of change in the traits and origins of non-native vertebrates · 2026 · DOI

  • The Pacific Treefrog complex (Pseudacris regilla sensu lato) is an iconic but systematically poorly understood group of chorus frogs inhabiting a vast portion of western North America.

    The Tangled History and Taxonomy of an Iconic Chorus Frog Complex Clarified using Genomic Analyses · 2026 · DOI

  • Poor preservation palmarly on metacarpal II makes it difficult to confirm contact between a potential offset surface and the palmar tuberosity of the capitate.

    Anatomy of Eurotamandua joresi (Mammalia) from Grube Messel, Germany, based on computed tomography, and implications for its relationships. Part I: Background and forelimb · 2026 · DOI

  • The taphonomic processes governing the formation and preservation of the Hipparion Red Clay assemblages remain largely unexplored. There is a need for quantitative taphonomic analysis of the Hipparion Red Clay assemblages.

    Formation processes of Late Miocene Hipparion Red Clay vertebrate assemblages from northern China: taphonomic constraints on palaeoecological and biochronological interpretations · 2026 · DOI

  • The study aims to address the gap in understanding the drivers of reproductive strategy in Artemia. The research gap includes the need to examine the effects of environmental conditions and the size-age structure of the community on Artemia's reproductive mode.

    Drivers of reproductive strategy in parthenogenetic Artemia lineage: a long-term study from Western Siberia · 2026 · DOI

  • The fragmentary origin of the owl pellet remains from Guerrero and the limitations this entails. The difficulty in unequivocally assigning the geographical origin of individuals consumed by raptors.

    Reopening the case of the enigmatic record hitherto referred to as the Mayan shrew, Cryptotis mayensis (Mammalia, Soricidae) · 2026 · DOI

  • Further study of the genetic relationships between the Guerrero population and other C. mayensis populations. Investigation of the ecological and environmental factors that may have contributed to the isolation of the Guerrero population.

    Reopening the case of the enigmatic record hitherto referred to as the Mayan shrew, Cryptotis mayensis (Mammalia, Soricidae) · 2026 · DOI

  • The relationships between the species in the Balkan-Anatolian province are not well understood. The geological history of the region is complex and not fully clarified.

    A new Oligocene genus of the Spalacidae (Rodentia) from the Balkan–Anatolian biogeographic province: spalacid relationships and their dispersal through time · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the history of the paleontological exhibitions of the Museu Nacional/UFRJ.

    PALEONTOLOGIA E MEMÓRIA: EXPOSIÇÕES DE PALEONTOLOGIA DO MUSEU NACIONAL/UFRJ PRÉ-INCÊNDIO · 2026 · DOI

  • Future studies can build on the framework provided by this study. Future studies can apply the methods used in this study to other groups of rodents.

    DEL DIENTE A LA DIETA: UN NUEVO MODELO DE INTERPRETACIÓN DEL MICRODESGASTE DENTARIO EN ROEDORES CAVIOMORFOS ACTUALES PARA INFERENCIAS PALEOECOLÓGICAS · 2026 · DOI

  • Resolving Asterophryinae phylogenetics has remained a challenge due to frequent taxonomic reshuffling. The relationships within and between microhylid subfamilies have been the subject of many molecular phylogenetic assessments, but a reliable phylogenetic framework is still needed.

    Phylogenomic assessment of microhylid frogs reveals widespread taxonomic confusion in the Asterophryinae and establishes the timing of diversification in Australia · 2026 · DOI

  • The study is limited to morphological analysis and does not include genetic sequencing. The sample size is small, with only a few specimens available for analysis.

    OP-394- Revisiting Subfossil Small-eared Shrews of the Genus <i>Cryptotis</i> Pomel, 1848 from Near Copán, Honduras, with the Description of a New Species (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Soricidae) · 2026 · DOI

  • The fossil record is fragmentary. The taxonomic status of Lufengpithecus has shifted over time. The ~1 Ma gap between Yuanmoupithecus and Homo erectus at Yuanmou is acknowledged.

    China Shandong Evolution Model Chapter 3: East Asian Hominoid Sequence — The Kaiyuan–Lufeng–Yuanmou Lineage as a Counterexample to the "Africa-Only" Premise · 2026 · DOI

  • Further study of the Kaiyuan-Lufeng-Yuanmou sequence is needed. More research on the fossil record of human evolution in East Asia is required. The taxonomic status of Lufengpithecus needs to be clarified.

    China Shandong Evolution Model Chapter 3: East Asian Hominoid Sequence — The Kaiyuan–Lufeng–Yuanmou Lineage as a Counterexample to the "Africa-Only" Premise · 2026 · DOI

  • Specifically, the effects of factors such as the range dynamics of the sable during the Pleistocene Epoch, the localization of glacial refugia, species distribution pattern in Holocene, and recent dramatic population decline, along with massive reacclimatization measures, on the species phylogeography remain unclear.

    Genetic structure of sable (Martes zibellina L.) in Eurasia—analysis of the mitochondrial lineages distribution · 2013 · DOI

  • Molecular estimates of the age of crown group angiosperms have converged on 140-180 million years ago (Ma), older than the oldest fossils (132 Ma), suggesting that older fossils remain to be discovered.

    Origin and Early Evolution of Angiosperms · 2008 · DOI

  • Histological studies of dental development can provide unique insights into growth and development. Daily changes in cellular activity can be quantified and thus provide detailed growth profiles, which can provide insights into primate biology in an evolutionary context (e.g., Bromage, 1991; Beynon et al., 1998; Dean et al., 2001). The pre- and post-natal timing of enamel growth can be tied to accurate estimates of age (e.g., Boyde, 1963), and linked to aspects of life history (e.g., Kelley et al., 2001; Kelley and Smith, 2003; Schwartz et al., 2005; Dean, 2006). Because of this, an increasing number of studies are being undertaken on Miocene apes, as well as continuing work on extant comparative material. Such studies have shown that some aspects of dental development, such as periodicity, vary across primate taxa, while others, such as CFT, are corre- lated with non-dental measures of growth (e.g., body size) in hominoids (Dean and Scandrett, 1996; Schwartz et al., 2001; Smith et al., 2003b). These findings promise much for the future, though there are still methodological limitations and practical difficulties to overcome. Understanding dental development in living primates is fundamental to understanding primate biol- ogy in an evolutionary context, yet work on understanding sour- ces of intraspecific variation in extant samples (Pan and Homo) has only recently begun (Smith, 2004; Reid and Dean, 2006; Smith et al., 2007). Additionally, little is known about some as- pects of dental development for certain extant hominoids (e.g., Pongo and Gorilla).

    What Do We Mean When We Say We Are Teaching Concepts in Geography · 1975 · DOI

  • Lack of evidence for cospeciation was reported for retroelements, whereas for papillomaviruses, for in- stance, it has been reported that they do cospeciate (Shadan and Villarreal 1995).

    The United States Office of Education as an Initiator of Library Legislation · 1970 · DOI

  • Accounting for palaeo-configuration may be particularly relevant in the context of ROAs, as variation in archipelago configuration over geological time is likely to have left detectable evolutionary legacies.

    The biogeography of evolutionary radiations on oceanic archipelagos · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Evolution and Paleontology Studies

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Evolution and Paleontology Studies sub-topic

This page shows what the Evolution and Paleontology Studies literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Earth and Planetary Sciences

Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
205 open questions
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
168 open questions
Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
157 open questions
Marine and coastal ecosystems
132 open questions
earthquake and tectonic studies
125 open questions
Geological and Geochemical Analysis
122 open questions
Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations
117 open questions
Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
107 open questions
47 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 269 Evolution and Paleontology Studies papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.