The Cnidarian Tree of Life Project

Assistant Professor, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State Universty

Anthozoan phylogeny and nematocyst morphology

Because they are obligately solitary and skeleton-less, sea anemones appear to be especially simple cnidarians. Appearances are deceiving, thoughóthe order Actiniaria includes the largest and most complex individual polyps in the phylum. My role in CnidTol is to amplify and sequence loci from members of this fascinating group, so that we can better understand the evolution of morphological and behavioral complexity. In my role as coordinator of work on Anthozoa, I will look at the broader context in which sea anemones have evolved, focusing on broader questions like genome evolution and life history. I am also leading our investigations into the evolution of nematocysts, the stinging capsules that are found in all Cnidaria.