Phylogeny and diversification of bryozoans

Abstract

Although only a small fraction of the estimated 6000 extant bryozoan species has been analysed in a molecular phylogenetic context, the resultant trees have increased our understanding of the interrelationships between major bryozoan groups, as well as between bryozoans and other metazoan phyla. Molecular systematic analyses have failed to recover the Lophophorata as a monophyletic clade until recently, when phylogenomic data placed the Brachiopoda as sister to a clade formed by Phoronida + Bryozoa. Among bryozoans, class Phylactolaemata has been shown to be the sister group of Gymnolaemata + Stenolaemata, corroborating earlier anatomical inferences. Despite persistent claims, there are no unequivocal bryozoans of Cambrian age: the oldest bryozoans are stenolaemates from the Tremadocian of China. Stenolaemates underwent a major radiation during the Ordovician, but the relationships between the six orders involved are poorly understood, mostly because the simple and plastic skeletons of stenolaemates make phylogenetic analyses difficult. Bryozoans were hardhit by the mass extinction/s in the late Permian and it was not until the Middle Jurassic that they began to rediversify, initially through the cyclostome stenolaemates. The most successful post-Palaeozoic order (Cheilostomata) evolved a calcareous skeleton de novo from a soft-bodied ancestor in the Late Jurassic, maintained a low diversity until the mid-Cretaceous and then began to radiate explosively. A remarkable range of morphological structures in the form of highly modified zooidal polymorphs, or non-zooidal or intrazooidal modular elements, is postulated to have evolved repeatedly in this group. Crucially, many of these structures have been linked to micropredator protection and can be interpreted as key traits linked to the diversification of cheilostomes.

Biotic and environmental dynamics through theLateJurassic–EarlyCretaceous transition: evidence for protracted faunal and ecological turnover

“…Cheilostomes represent the largest group of extant bryozoans, and first occur in the fossil record in the Late Jurassic (Taylor, 1994). However, their diversification appears to have been constrained until the late Early Cretaceous (Taylor & Waeschenbach, 2015).…”

“…Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous bryozoan faunas were almost entirely comprised of cyclostome stenolaemates (Taylor & Ernst, 2008), which reached their lowest post-Triassic diversity in the Tithonian (Taylor & Waeschenbach, 2015). Cheilostomes represent the largest group of extant bryozoans, and first occur in the fossil record in the Late Jurassic (Taylor, 1994).…”

Coevolution of post‐Palaeozoic arthropod basibiont diversity and encrusting bryozoan epibiont diversity?

“…Both McKinney & Taylor (, fig. 2) and Taylor & Waeschenbach (, figs 8, 12) show a post Palaeozoic switchover at ~75 Ma from more cyclostomes to more cheilostomes. Our family‐level data suggest this happened at ~85 Ma.…”

“…) and the evolution of features that protect the colony from micropredators (Lidgard et al . ; Taylor & Waeschenbach ). Perhaps increasing bryozoan fouling of motile marine ‘robust’ decapod arthropods allowed sessile marine encrusting cheilostome gymnolaemate bryozoans to diversify as well, in conjunction with these other drivers.…”

Diversity dynamics of Ordovician Bryozoa

“…). Phylogenetic analyses of these oldest indisputable bryozoans suggest a long hidden period of earlier evolution of skeletal bryozoans (Taylor & Waeschenbach ; Fig. ).…”