Symbiotic interactions in the Silurian of Baltica

Vinn, Olev; Wilson, Mark A.

doi:10.1111/let.12158

Cited by 16 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Alvarez & Taylor ). Protracted epizooism involving large colonial hosts may result in symbiotic intergrowths, allowing the smaller symbiont to escape complete overgrowth and potentially enjoy structural and other benefits from being contained within the skeleton of its larger host (see Taylor ; Vinn & Wilson ). Examples in the fossil record include intergrowths between Ordovician cornulitids and stromatoporoids and tabulate corals (Dixon ), Cretaceous scleractinian corals and serpulid and sabellid polychaetes (Garberoglio & Lazo ), and Neogene scleractinian corals and bryozoans (Cadée & McKinney ).…”

Section: Patterns Of Spatial Competitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competition between encrusters on marine hard substrates and its fossil record

Taylor

2016

Palaeontology

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Many animals and plants that colonize hard surfaces in the sea are sessile and either bore into, or cement themselves permanently to the substrate surface. Because they retain their life positions after fossilization, these sclerobionts offer scope for studying biotic interactions in the fossil record. Encrusting sclerobionts compete actively for living space, with dominant competitors overgrowing the edges of subordinates. In addition to such marginal overgrowths, spatial competition may also occur through fouling in which larvae recruit directly onto the living surfaces of established sclerobionts. Spatial competition has been studied extensively in modern marine communities but there has been little research on competition between encrusters in ancient communities. This reflects poor knowledge of the taxonomy of the sclerobionts involved, as well as problems in distinguishing between overgrowth in vivo and post-mortem. Nevertheless, if carefully interpreted, the fossil record of sclerobionts can provide an as yet largely unexploited resource for studying the long-term ecological and evolutionary dynamics of competition.

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Section: Patterns Of Spatial Competitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competition between encrusters on marine hard substrates and its fossil record

Taylor

2016

Palaeontology

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“…Thus, Silurian cornulitids were prone to symbiosis with other invertebrates. There may have been a slight escalation in the evolution of the endobiotic life mode in cornulitids as the number of such associations increases from the Ordovician (Dixon 2010; Vinn & Mõtus 2012; Vinn et al 2018a) to the Silurian (Franzén 1974; Dixon 2010; Vinn & Wilson 2010; Vinn & Wilson 2016). The latter fact supports predator‐driven evolution of endobiotic life modes among cornulitids (Vinn 2009, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symbiosis of cornulitids with the cystoporate bryozoan Fistulipora in the Pridoli of Saaremaa, Estonia

Vinn

Ernst

Wilson

et al. 2021

LET

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Cornulites sp. and Fistulipora przhidolensis formed a symbiotic association in the Pridoli (latest Silurian) of Saaremaa Island, Estonia. This Cornulites sp.-F. przhidolensis association is the youngest example of cornulitid-bryozoan symbiosis. Symbiosis is indicated by intergrowth of both organisms. The cornulitids are completely embedded within the cystoporate bryozoan colony, leaving only their apertures free on the growth surface of bryozoan. In terms of food competition, this association could have been slightly harmful to F. przhidolensis as Cornulites sp. may have been a kleptoparasite. There may have been a small escalation in the evolution of the endobiotic life mode of cornulitids as the number of such associations increased from the Ordovician to Silurian. It is likely that Palaeozoic bryozoan symbiosis reached its maximum in the Late Ordovician. Most of the symbiotic bryozoans in the Palaeozoic are trepostomes, and the diversity of symbiotic associations was also greatest among trepostomes. □ Baltica, bryozoans, cornulitids, Silurian, symbiosis.

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“…Besides bryozoans, large numbers (both in terms of diversity and biomass) of other organisms competed for seafloor space in tropical Silurian seas. Such competition prompted interactions between benthic organisms that resulted in a diverse network of interactions 6 , 7 . For example.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bryozoan–cnidarian mutualism triggered a new strategy for greater resource exploitation as early as the Late Silurian

Zapalski

Vinn²,

Toom³

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Bryozoans were common benthic invertebrates in the Silurian seas. The large biodiversity among Silurian benthic organisms prompted diversified interactions, and as a result bryozoans hosted many other organisms as symbionts. Here we analyse the cystoporate bryozoan Fistulipora przhidolensis and unidentified trepostomes intergrown with auloporid tabulate corals and putative hydrozoans. The material comes from the uppermost Přídolí Series (Late Silurian) of the Sõrve Peninsula, Saaremaa, Estonia. Our analysis shows that the interaction was beneficial for both organisms—cnidarians benefited from feeding currents created by the host bryozoan, while the latter benefited from the protection from predators by cnidae, it can thus be classified as mutualism. Such associations are common in modern seas. The analysed organisms are typically encrusting when the symbiosis is absent, when intergrown they display erect, branching morphologies, raised over the substratum, thus exploiting a higher suspension-feeding tier. While similar associations were known from the Devonian, we demonstrate that this novel ecological strategy for greater resource exploitation started as early as the latest Silurian.

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Symbiotic interactions in the Silurian of Baltica

Cited by 16 publications

References 34 publications

Competition between encrusters on marine hard substrates and its fossil record

Competition between encrusters on marine hard substrates and its fossil record

Symbiosis of cornulitids with the cystoporate bryozoan Fistulipora in the Pridoli of Saaremaa, Estonia

Bryozoan–cnidarian mutualism triggered a new strategy for greater resource exploitation as early as the Late Silurian

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