New Research Unravels the Evolutionary Secrets of Ancient Seas’ Forgotten Rulers

A new study indicates that despite significant evolutionary innovations post-extinction, brachiopods failed to match the species diversity of molluscs, challenging assumptions about their adaptive success and shedding light on the complexities of biodiversity evolution.

Researchers from the University of Bristol, the Open University, and the China University of Geosciences have discovered that while brachiopods were evolving in new directions, this did not lead to an increase in the number of species.

The findings, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, shed light on some core principles of the evolution of modern biodiversity.