Monthly Archives: September 2017

Bryozoans! Everyone’s favorite fossils. When I took this course my professor mumbled at the start of this section, “I hate bryozoans. When I find them, and no one’s looking, I smash them with my hammer!” Bad form. I hope you … Continue reading →

Please see the text and links in last week’s web entry. You’ll all learn soon that there are problems with homeomorphy among brachiopods. (A product of evolutionary convergence.) The linked paper provides one example of many. Remember that many brachiopod … Continue reading →

We will likely have some more to say about cnidarians, so please review last week’s links. You’re going to like brachiopods. They are considerably more complex than the cnidarians, are diverse in both habits and forms, and are the most … Continue reading →

The Wikipedia page on cnidarians is an excellent place to visit first for our gelatinous friends. For systematics and descriptions, you can’t beat the Tree of Life page on Phylum Cnidaria. Check out my favorite hydrozoan, the delightfully-named Velella velella. … Continue reading →