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Volvocine Algae: From Simple to Complex Multicellularity

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Evolutionary Transitions to Multicellular Life

Part of the book series: Advances in Marine Genomics ((AMGE,volume 2))

Abstract

The evolution of multicellularity provided new ways for biological systems to increase in complexity . However, although high levels of complexity have indeed been attained in several multicellular lineages, natural selection does not necessarily favor complex biological systems. Why and how, then, has complexity increased in some lineages? We argue that the volvocine green algae (Volvox and its relatives) are a uniquely valuable model system for understanding the evolution of multicellular complexity. Using a general framework for the evolution of complexity, we discuss the various levels of morphological and developmental complexity achieved in this group, and consider both the why and the how underlying the changes in complexity levels that took place in this group.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Erik Hanschen and Deborah Shelton for comments on the manuscript; we also thank Deborah Shelton for providing pictures of volvocine algae. We gratefully acknowledge support from a NASA Astrobiology Institute postdoctoral fellowship and from the John Templeton Foundation (MDH) and NSERC (AMN).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA

    Matthew D. Herron

  2. Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada

    Aurora M. Nedelcu

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Correspondence to Matthew D. Herron .

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  1. Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain

    Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo

  2. Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

    Aurora M. Nedelcu

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Herron, M., Nedelcu, A. (2015). Volvocine Algae: From Simple to Complex Multicellularity. In: Ruiz-Trillo, I., Nedelcu, A. (eds) Evolutionary Transitions to Multicellular Life. Advances in Marine Genomics, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9642-2_7

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