Photosymbiosis as the Main Evolutionary Pathway of Modular Fungi and Corals

Photosymbioses were of great importance in the formation of the biodiversity of fungi and corals. Symbiosis with phototrophs combined with modular organization has become a determining factor in the structural evolution of lichenized fungi and colonial corals. The large-scale ecomorphological and taxonomic diversification of lichens and reef-forming corals has determined their key role in the formation of the biogeocenotic cover of the Earth. The evolution of plants, lichens, and corals was various kinds of parallelisms. Photosymbioses can be a universal model for the evolutionary biology and ecology of modular organisms.