Corals in Space and Time: The Biogeography and Evolution of the Scleractinia

Rating:
Summary: An Evoltionary History of the Corals
Review: Veron opens the book describing why corals are so difficult to study in an evolutionary and biogeographic context: the same species will have completely different physical features depending on the physical conditions under which the coral is growing, so extreme that the different morphs often do not resemble one another.

With this caution in mind, Veron then takes the problem of coral evolution head-on. The book is filled with thorough but easy to understand figures which indicate past changes in sea level, different current patters, phylogenetic trees, etc; all the factors which contribute to evolution and speciation. These factors are all responsible for the biogeography of the different corals, which further contributes to allopatric speciation.

Lastly, Veron argues that corals are an excellent model to study evolution within a species context. He argues that in an evolutionary context, there are really no such thing as "species" (in the traditional sense). He supports this argument with convincing evidence from the Scleractinia.

This is a fabulous book for anyone (of all levels of experience) with an interest in corals, marine biology, biogeography or evolution.