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. Phylogenicrelationships are estimated using morphological, behavioral, and otherphenotypic characters. However, these characters may not accurately represent
evolutionary relationships because evolution is not always divergent. 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 thatserve as the foundation of complex reef ecosystems. The evolutionary history
and current speciation in this diverse class of animals remain paradoxical.
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