Global diversity patterns and macroevolution of Palaeostomata (Bryozoa)

拟议的研究旨在研究全球宏观演化模式的古口门，一组苔藓动物几乎完全限于古生代。这些动物在古生代的海洋生物群落中非常重要，通常是造礁和沉积物形成。本文提出了一系列问题，旨在揭示280 Ma以来苔藓动物的宏观进化模式，并探讨苔藓动物宏观进化与生物和非生物生态因子之间的联系。在项目过程中，将汇编古口门物种和属的时间分布及其形态学数据。将对多样性模式进行评估，以概述辐射和灭绝事件（进化成功）。根据作者近20年来的研究工作和对大量古生代苔藓动物资料的研究，提出了古口门形态的演化趋势（关键新发现），生长形式、摄食、生殖和保护结构等）将被识别。这些数据将根据生态因素（海平面、温度、初级生产、捕食者压力等）进行校准。一个重要的问题是，这些倾向/新奇性与进化成功有关。苔藓虫形态学的数据集将检查可能的收敛和平行。计划中的研究的主要假设表明，苔藓动物的分类多样性及其动态与关键新奇的进化相关。关键创新的触发因素显然是生态学（气候变化、食物供应、捕食者压力等）。苔藓虫的结果将与其他组考虑到已知的全球事件，以及用于检测苔藓虫与相互作用的生物体的共同进化的可能模式进行比较。

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.