Exploring the trends of adaptation and evolution of sclerites with regards to habitat depth in sea pens.

ABSTRACT: Octocorals possess sclerites, small elements comprised of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) that are important diagnostic characters in octocoral taxonomy. Among octocorals, sea pens comprise a unique order (Pennatulacea) that live in a wide range of depths. Habitat depth is considered to be important in the diversification of octocoral species, but a lack of information on sea pens has limited studies on their adaptation and evolution across depth. Here, we aimed to reveal trends of adaptation and evolution of sclerite shapes in sea pens with regards to habitat depth via phylogenetic analyses and ancestral reconstruction analyses. Colony form of sea pens is suggested to have undergone convergent evolution and the loss of axis has occurred independently across the evolution of se

SUBMITTER: Kushida Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9508890 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature