Unveiling the early evolution of black corals
Abstract Black corals, primarily deep-sea cnidarians (Anthozoa: Antipatharia), are inferred to have originated either in the Ediacaran or Cambrian based on molecular clock estimates. However, only the fossil family Sinopathidae, comprising Sinopathes and Sterictopathes, from the Early Ordovician of...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08022-x |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849737735400587264 |
|---|---|
| author | Wenjing Hao Jian Han Andrzej Baliński Mercer R. Brugler Deng Wang Xin Wang Bernhard Ruthensteiner Tsuyoshi Komiya Jie Sun Yuanyuan Yong Xikun Song |
| author_facet | Wenjing Hao Jian Han Andrzej Baliński Mercer R. Brugler Deng Wang Xin Wang Bernhard Ruthensteiner Tsuyoshi Komiya Jie Sun Yuanyuan Yong Xikun Song |
| author_sort | Wenjing Hao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Black corals, primarily deep-sea cnidarians (Anthozoa: Antipatharia), are inferred to have originated either in the Ediacaran or Cambrian based on molecular clock estimates. However, only the fossil family Sinopathidae, comprising Sinopathes and Sterictopathes, from the Early Ordovician of Hubei, China, has been recorded in the fossil record. The affinity of this family has been questioned because of morphological inconsistencies between fossil and extant species. Here we describe two transitional species of Sterictopathes from the Middle Ordovician of Shaanxi, China, bridging the fossil gaps and thereby elevating the genus Sterictopathes to a new family, Sterictopathidae fam. nov. The hypothesized evolutionary trend toward regularity in the axial skeleton from the Ordovician to modern Antipatharia is highlighted by reduced ridges and longitudinal fusion of networks. This discovery and confirmation of Ordovician black corals paves the way for future fossil findings and offers new insights into the early evolution of Hexacorallia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e6c1c7bffbb34cdaae34c86909dfb2c1 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-e6c1c7bffbb34cdaae34c86909dfb2c12025-08-20T03:06:50ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-04-018111010.1038/s42003-025-08022-xUnveiling the early evolution of black coralsWenjing Hao0Jian Han1Andrzej Baliński2Mercer R. Brugler3Deng Wang4Xin Wang5Bernhard Ruthensteiner6Tsuyoshi Komiya7Jie Sun8Yuanyuan Yong9Xikun Song10Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments (SKLELE), State Key Laboratory of Continental Evolution and Early Life (SKLCEE), Department of Geology, Northwest UniversityShaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments (SKLELE), State Key Laboratory of Continental Evolution and Early Life (SKLCEE), Department of Geology, Northwest UniversityInstitute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Natural Sciences, University of South Carolina BeaufortShaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments (SKLELE), State Key Laboratory of Continental Evolution and Early Life (SKLCEE), Department of Geology, Northwest UniversityCentre for Orogenic Belt Geology, CGS, Xi’an Center of China Geological SurveySNSB-Zoologische Staatssammlung MünchenDepartment of Earth Science and Astronomy, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of TokyoShaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments (SKLELE), State Key Laboratory of Continental Evolution and Early Life (SKLCEE), Department of Geology, Northwest UniversityShaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments (SKLELE), State Key Laboratory of Continental Evolution and Early Life (SKLCEE), Department of Geology, Northwest UniversityInstitute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Black corals, primarily deep-sea cnidarians (Anthozoa: Antipatharia), are inferred to have originated either in the Ediacaran or Cambrian based on molecular clock estimates. However, only the fossil family Sinopathidae, comprising Sinopathes and Sterictopathes, from the Early Ordovician of Hubei, China, has been recorded in the fossil record. The affinity of this family has been questioned because of morphological inconsistencies between fossil and extant species. Here we describe two transitional species of Sterictopathes from the Middle Ordovician of Shaanxi, China, bridging the fossil gaps and thereby elevating the genus Sterictopathes to a new family, Sterictopathidae fam. nov. The hypothesized evolutionary trend toward regularity in the axial skeleton from the Ordovician to modern Antipatharia is highlighted by reduced ridges and longitudinal fusion of networks. This discovery and confirmation of Ordovician black corals paves the way for future fossil findings and offers new insights into the early evolution of Hexacorallia.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08022-x |
| spellingShingle | Wenjing Hao Jian Han Andrzej Baliński Mercer R. Brugler Deng Wang Xin Wang Bernhard Ruthensteiner Tsuyoshi Komiya Jie Sun Yuanyuan Yong Xikun Song Unveiling the early evolution of black corals Communications Biology |
| title | Unveiling the early evolution of black corals |
| title_full | Unveiling the early evolution of black corals |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling the early evolution of black corals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling the early evolution of black corals |
| title_short | Unveiling the early evolution of black corals |
| title_sort | unveiling the early evolution of black corals |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08022-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wenjinghao unveilingtheearlyevolutionofblackcorals AT jianhan unveilingtheearlyevolutionofblackcorals AT andrzejbalinski unveilingtheearlyevolutionofblackcorals AT mercerrbrugler unveilingtheearlyevolutionofblackcorals AT dengwang unveilingtheearlyevolutionofblackcorals AT xinwang unveilingtheearlyevolutionofblackcorals AT bernhardruthensteiner unveilingtheearlyevolutionofblackcorals AT tsuyoshikomiya unveilingtheearlyevolutionofblackcorals AT jiesun unveilingtheearlyevolutionofblackcorals AT yuanyuanyong unveilingtheearlyevolutionofblackcorals AT xikunsong unveilingtheearlyevolutionofblackcorals |