Phylogeny

Propelled by the molecular revolution, our understanding of bryozoan phylogeny has increased enormously during the last decade. Although the fossil record still furnishes the best information on the waxing and waning of bryozoans through geological time (Chapter 9), the phylogenetic framework necessary for a fuller understanding of evolutionary patterns is gradually emerging from molecular phylogenetic studies of living bryozoans. Furthermore, many of the skeletal morphological characters previously thought to be indicative of close genealogical affinities have been shown to be highly convergent, forcing a reconsideration of how we can reconstruct phylogeny from fossil evidence.