Homology relationships in Medusozoa (Cnidaria) based on the anatomy of the different stages of the life cycle

• Grant number: 15/23695-0
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Morphology of Recent Groups
• Principal researcher: André Carrara Morandini
• Grantee: Lucília Souza Miranda
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/50242-5 - Dimensions of marine life: patterns and process of diversifications in planktonic and benthic cnidarians, AP.BTA.TEM

Abstract

Phylogenetic studies based on different data have shown that evolutionary relationships among cnidarian classes remain contentious. Consequently, different hypotheses suggest conflicting interpretations about the evolution of the life cycle in the phylum, with direct implications for understanding important innovations, including the origin and metamorphosis of the medusa stage. This project aims to establish homology relationships among the different stages of the life cycle of medusozoan classes, inferring the morphological evolution from dissonant evolutionary hypotheses. In order to achieve this purpose, we will: (1) comparatively describe the anatomical changes during the development for the different stages of the medusozoan life cycle; (2) infer the correspondence of the stages of the life cycle in Staurozoa with the polyp and medusa stages in the other medusozoan classes, verifying if/when metagenesis occurs in Staurozoa; (3) compare the evolution of the main morphological systems among the classes; (4) identify, in these models, expressions of the morphological diversity with historical origin (synapomorphic) in contrast to those with functional origin (homoplastic), based on the most recent phylogenetic proposals for Cnidaria. After reaching our aim, we will have an integrative and comparative view about the morphological evolution in Medusozoa. This is the first study to describe changes in the internal anatomy during the different stages of the life history stages, contributing to comprehend patterns and processes involved in the morphological evolution and diversification in Cnidaria. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MIRANDA, LUCILIA S.; GARCIA-RODRIGUEZ, JIMENA; COLLINS, ALLEN G.; MORANDINI, ANDRE C.; MARQUES, ANTONIO C.. Evolution of the claustrum in Cnidaria: comparative anatomy reveals that it is exclusive to some species of Staurozoa and absent in Cubozoa. ORGANISMS DIVERSITY & EVOLUTION, v. 17, n. 4, p. 753-766, DEC 2017. (10/50174-7, 15/23695-0, 13/50484-4, 10/07362-7, 11/50242-5, 15/21007-9)

MIRANDA, LUCILIA S.; COLLINS, ALLEN G.; HIRANO, YAYOI M.; MILLS, CLAUDIA E.; MARQUES, ANTONIO C.. Comparative internal anatomy of Staurozoa (Cnidaria), with functional and evolutionary inferences. PeerJ, v. 4, OCT 27 2016. (10/07362-7, 11/50242-5, 13/50484-4, 15/23695-0)

MIRANDA, LUCILIA S.; BRANCH, GEORGE M.; COLLINS, ALLEN G.; HIRANO, YAYOI M.; MARQUES, ANTONIO C.; GRIFFITHS, CHARLES L.. Stalked jellyfishes (Cnidaria: Staurozoa) of South Africa, with the description of Calvadosia lewisi sp nov.. Zootaxa, v. 4227, n. 3, p. 369-389, FEB 3 2017. (13/50484-4, 11/50242-5, 15/23695-0, 10/07362-7)