BIO 475 Lecture 9: Coral Evolution and Taxonomy
Coral Evolution and Taxonomy
Taxonomic Framework -- Morphological variation
● Corallites: where the polyps are
● Variation in the morphology of the corallites
○ Depending where you are on the branch
○ Some big , some small
○ Intra Colony morphological variation
○Acropora aspera
○ Some have prominent ridges and some don't
○Porites lutea
Morphological variation within different parts of the same colony
●Montipora capitata
○ Samples from the same species in the same area can have huge morphological
difference
■ Ex. Branching vs plate
Skeletal variation between colonies within the same biotope (environment/habitat)
● Skeletons look different
● Two different colors, same species, same part of the reef
● Possibly just random, may be advantageous
●Pocillopora damicornis
You see this with Diploria labyrinthiformis in Bermuda
Contiguous variation between physical environment zones
●Pocillopora damicornis
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Document Summary
Variation in the morphology of the corallites. Depending where you are on the branch. Some have prominent ridges and some don"t. Morphological variation within different parts of the same colony. Samples from the same species in the same area can have huge morphological difference. Skeletal variation between colonies within the same biotope (environment/habitat) Two different colors, same species, same part of the reef. You see this with diploria labyrinthiformis in bermuda. Take coral skeletons and observe them, he formulated the idea of how corals might have evolved and how they can continue to evolve. Go forward in time, evolution happens, when you originally you had 1 species, you"ll now have 2 and the range expands. Go forward in time again, and you"ll have 3 species and the range expands. (sympatric speciation) Center of origin you have higher diversity and more species, and as you go further out you"ll have less species and less diversity.
