Cheilostome bryozoans are colonial marine invertebrates that are a common constituent of post-Paleozoic seas. The individual polyps that comprise the colony are capable of differentiating into several different "heteromorphs", each of which serves a distinct function that benefits the colony (e.g., protection from encrusting competitors). Biologists have tended to rely on the characteristics of individual zooids (within which polyps reside) in distinguishing species and constructing classifications. Dr. Scott Lidgard proposes a study of both zooid- and colony-level features, for the purpose of establishing their relative value in unravelling evolutionary relationships in a genus of fossil cheilostomes. Dr. Lidgard will use the most current techniques of computer-based image analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction. The proposed research has implications beyond paleontologists interested in bryozoan classification. The focus on colony-level organization is relevant to botanists and invertebrate zoologists interested in corals, sponges, and other colonial groups. The results of this study will suggest whether or not the colony-level of integration has a significant effect on the evolutionary history of these groups, and on the way research is conducted on them.
