Bryozoan genera Fenestrulina and Microporella no longer confamilial; multi-gene phylogeny supports separation

Bryozoans are a moderately diverse, mostly marine phylum with a fossil record extending to the early Ordovician. Compared to other phyla, little is known about their phylogenetic relationships at both lower and higher taxonomic levels. Hence, an effort is being made to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships among bryozoans. Here, we present newly sequenced nuclear and mitochondrial genes for 21 cheilostome bryozoans and compile these with existing orthologous molecular data. Using these data, we focus on reconstructing the phylogenetic relationships of Fenestrulina and Microporella, two species-rich genera. They are currently placed in a globally distributed family, Microporellidae, defined by having a semicircular primary orifice and a proximal ascopore, although there are indirect inferences in the morphological literature that suggest they might not be confamilial. Our six-gene phylogenetic analysis reveals that the genera Fenestrulina and Microporella are each monophyletic, with t...苔藓动物门（Bryozoa）是一类中等多样性、绝大多数为海洋生的门类，其化石记录可追溯至奥陶纪早期。相较于其他动物门类，学界对苔藓动物在各级分类阶元的系统发育关系仍知之甚少。因此，当前正致力于阐明苔藓动物类群间的系统发育关系。本研究新测序了21种唇口目苔藓动物（Cheilostomata）的核基因与线粒体基因，并将这些数据与已公开的直系同源分子数据（orthologous molecular data）进行整合。基于上述数据集，本研究重点重构了两个物种丰富的属——菲氏苔虫属（Fenestrulina）与微孔苔虫属（Microporella）的系统发育关系。目前这两个属被归入广布全球的微孔苔虫科（Microporellidae），该科以半圆形初生殖孔（primary orifice）与近位围孔（ascopore）为鉴别特征，但形态学文献中的间接推断提示二者可能并非同科类群。本研究的六基因系统发育分析结果显示，菲氏苔虫属与微孔苔虫属均为单系群，且……