Phylum Cnidaria comprises more than 11,000 described species that include a few freshwater species and prominent members of the marine fauna such as corals, sea anemones, and jellyfish. The objective of the Cnidaria AtoL (CnidTol) is to enhance our understanding of the evolutionary history of the Phylum Cnidaria, one of the earliest branches in the animal tree of life.

Morphologically simple, with relatively few cells types, cnidarians have attained remarkable diversity through modifications largely in colonial organization and life histories. The dichotomy between simple cellular and tissue organization and diverse form and life history has contributed to long-standing controversies concerning the origin and diversification of cnidarians. Reconstructing the cnidarian evolutionary tree is important for understanding the patterns and processes that accompanied the early diversification of animals.

One aspect of morphology that will be explored in detail is the structure of nematocysts, the stinging capsules characteristic of the phylum. In addition, new laboratory cultures and culture protocols will be developed for diverse species of Cnidaria to facilitate the development of new model organisms for future in-depth developmental, life-history and morphological studies.

The CnidToL online database includes phylogenetic information as these data are being generated. In addition it includes an illustrated catalog of species, bibliography of taxonomic literature, inventory of type specimens, and searchable maps of species distributions.

Undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral training, and outreach to K-12 educators will be prominent components of this project.

For information about the underlying structure of the database, click here