A recent theory, published in the
Journal of Phylogenetics and Evolutionary Biology, interlinks primary succession with the evolution of life on planet earth, the phylogeny. Primary succession deals with how organisms establish themselves in a barren land devoid of any forms of life. In primary succession, simpler life forms such as lichens (a symbiotic association between algae and fungus) establish first, which pave way for further complicated life forms. Till date a connection between primary succession and phylogeny had not been established. Come this breakthrough theory, which argues that the process of primary succession mirrors the phylogeny. That means, the manner of appearance of life forms in a barren land- its primary succession- is exactly the manner these species have originated in the plant earth-its phylogeny. The hypothesis was based on a meta-analysis, and is widely regarded as a modern classic in this field.
