Prof. Iliana Baums, University of Oldenburg, Germany
Iliana Baums, Professor of Marine Conservation and co-Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg, will present: "Role of somatic mutations in coral ecology and evolution"
Main content
Somatic mutations are a fundamental driver of adaptation and aging across a wide range of organisms, yet their accumulation and biological significance remain poorly characterized in many early-branching animal lineages. Corals not only built the foundation of a diverse ecosystem but also offer a unique opportunity to explore the evolutionary dynamics of somatic mutations due to their modular body plans and long lifespans. We investigated somatic mutation accumulation in the robust and complex clades of reef-building corals and find strikingly different patterns of somatic mutation fixation in adult tissues across the colonies and in inheritance of somatic mutations via meiotically produced gametes. These findings highlight significant differences in somatic evolutionary mechanisms between major coral clades and underscore the importance of considering lineage-specific developmental and cellular architectures when studying mutation dynamics in long-lived, modular animals.
