Global diversity patterns and macroevolution of Palaeostomata (Bryozoa)

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Andrej Ernst, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Geology ; Ecology and Biodiversity of Animals and Ecosystems, Organismic Interactions
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 508852707

The proposed research intends to study global macroevolutionary patterns in the Palaeostomata, a group of bryozoans almost completely restricted to the Palaeozoic. These animals were exceptionally important in marine biotopes of the Palaeozoic time, being often reef-producing and sediment-forming. A series of questions are targeted to reveal macroevolutionary patterns of bryozoans within the span of 280 Ma of the Earth history, and to determine links between the bryozoan macroevolution and biotic and abiotic ecological factors. In the course of the project data on temporal distribution of species and genera of the Palaeostomata as well as their morphology will be compiled. The diversity patterns will be evaluated in order to outline radiation and extinction events (evolutionary success). On the base of own research activity during the past two decades and study of an extensive material on Palaeozoic bryozoans, evolutionary trends (key novelties) in morphology of Palaeostomata (e.g., growth form, feeding, reproductive and protective structures, etc.) will be identified. These data will be calibrated with ecological factors (sea level, temperature, primary production, predator stress, etc.). An important question is which of these tendencies/novelties are associated with evolutionary success. The data set on bryozoan morphology will be checked for possible convergences and parallelisms. The main hypothesis of the planned research suggests that taxonomic diversity of bryozoans and its dynamics were correlated with evolution of key novelties. The trigger for the key innovations was apparently ecology (climatic changes, food supply, predator press, etc.). Results on bryozoans will be compared with other groups considering the known global events as well as used for detection of possible patterns of the co-evolution of bryozoans with interacting organisms.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants