UC Davis

Naturalists and scientists have been captivated by the diversity of marine larval forms since they were discovered following the advent of the microscope. Because they often bear little resemblance to adults, larvae were identified initially as new life forms, classified into different groups based on the similarity of their body plans and given new names that are still with us today. The radically different body plans and lifestyles of marine larvae and adults have led most investigators historically to study the two phases of complex life cycles in isolation. More recently, important ecological insights have sprung from taking a holistic view of marine life cycles. Meanwhile, the evolutionary (phenotypic and genetic) links among life-history phases remain less appreciated. In this review, our objective is to evaluate the evolutionary links within marine life cycles, and explore their ecological and evolutionary consequences. We provide a brief overview of marine life histories, discuss the phenotypic and genetic links between the two phases of the life cycle and pose challenges to advance our understanding of the evolutionary constraints acting on marine life histories.