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Zusammenfassung This work aims to help clarify the interrelationships of catfish, with major implications for the study of the general evolution of these fish. A large part of the work deals with a cladistic analysis of catfish higher-level phylogeny, based on extensive morphological data. Inhaltsverzeichnis Catfishes : Introduction: Phylogenetic Position within Teleostei; Catfish Families; Historical Overview of Higher Level Phylogeny of Catfishes; Catfish, an Exceptional Biological Group Methodology & Material: Phylogenetic Methodology; Delimitation of Terminal Taxa; Material, Techniques and Nomenclature Phylogenetic Analysis: Character Description and Comparison; Cladistic Analysis, Diagnosis for Clades, and Comparison with Previous Hypotheses; Character State Changes for Individual Genera; Results of Phylogenetic Analysis: Major Outlines Higher-level Phylogeny and Macroevolution of Catfishes: A Discussion: Structures Associated with Movements of the Mandibular Barbels; Pectoral Girdle Complex; Adductor Mandibulae Complex; Palatine-maxillary System; Suspensorium and Associated Structures; Elastic Spring Apparatus; A Discussion on the Origin and Biogeographic Distribution of Catfishes Catfishes, Case Study for General Discussions of Phylogenetic and Macroevolutionary Topics: Primary Homologies, Secondary Homologies, and a Priori Versus a Posteriori Explanations in Evolutionary Biology; Homoplasies, Consistency Index, and Complexity of Macroevolution; Functional Uncouplings and Morphological Macroevolution; Myological Versus Osteological Characters in Phylogenetic Reconstructions; Analysis of Distinct Anatomical Regions in Phylogenetic Reconstructions; Aptations, Exaptations and Adaptations in Macroevolutionary Studies; Parallelisms, Convergences and Constraints in Macroevolution; Cordelia‘s Dilemma, Historical Bias, and General Evolutionary Trends; Punctuated Equilibrium, Speciation, Living Fossils and Macroevolution
