For centuries, biologists have attempted to
group organisms based on shared characteristics in order to understand the
evolutionary relationships of the tremendous diversity of life. Phylogenic relationships are estimated using morphological, behavioral, and other
phenotypic characters. However, these characters may not accurately represent
evolutionary relationships because evolution is not always divergent.
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| Millepora |
Two
species can independently evolve the same features due to similar habitats and
favored adaptations. Therefore, two species that are not closely related may
end up more phenotypically similar to each other than to their closest
relatives. The problem of understanding evolutionary relationships between
organisms is particularly acute in reef-building coral assemblages that serve
as the foundation of complex reef ecosystems. Read More>>>>>
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