Radiation of the coralline red algae (Corallinophycidae, Rhodophyta) crown group as inferred from a multilocus time-calibrated phylogeny

The subclass Corallinophycidae is the only group of red algae characterized by the presence of calcite crystals in their cell walls. Except for the Rhodogorgonales, the remaining orders - collectively called corallines - are diverse and widely distributed, having calcified cell walls and highly variable morphology. Corallines constitute the group with the richest fossil record among marine algae. In the present study, we investigate the...