DATE2025.11.10 #Press Releases
Deciphering the Evolution of Lophophorata through Genome Architecture
-Resolving a Century-Long Debate on the Phylogenetic Relationship between Phoronids and Bryozoans-
Summary
Unraveling the evolutionary lineage of animals has long been one of the major challenges in biology. An international research team led by Dr. Yi-Jyun Luo of the Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica (Taiwan); Professor Mayuko Hamada of the Ushimado Marine Institute, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University; and Professor Kazuyoshi Endo of the Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, has successfully decoded the genome of a phoronid (Phoronida) at the chromosomal level for the first time. Through comparative genomic analyses, the team has demonstrated the monophyly of the lophophorates (Lophophorata), thereby resolving a phylogenetic controversy that has persisted for over a century.
Furthermore, the results highlight that comparative analyses of genome architecture provide a powerful and valuable approach for elucidating animal evolution. Applying this methodology to diverse animal groups is expected to reveal a more refined picture of the evolutionary history of animals in the future.
These findings were published in Current Biology in November 2025.
Figure：Chromosomal fusion demonstrating that phoronids (Phoronida) and bryozoans (Bryozoa) are sister groups.
Image credits: Phoronid (Dr. Yi-Jyun Luo, Academia Sinica, Taiwan); Horseshoe worm (Chaloklum Diving); Bryozoan (Dr. John Bishop, MBA, UK).
Links
Academia Sinica (Taiwan), Okayama University
Journals
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Journal name Current BiologyTitle of paper