Abstract
Model bacteria are fundamental for research, but knowledge about their ecology and evolution is often limited. Here, we establish an evolutionary and ecological context for the model organism
Caulobacter crescentus
—an alphaproteobacterium intensively studied for its dimorphic lifecycle. By analyzing the phylogenetic relatedness and genetic potential of hundreds of
Caulobacterales
species, we reveal substantial diversity regarding their environmental distribution, morphology, cell development, and metabolism. Our work provides insights into the evolutionary history of morphological features such as the cell curvature determinant crescentin and uncovers a striking case of convergent loss of traits for cellular dimorphism among close relatives of
C. crescentus
. Moreover, we find that genes for phototrophy are widespread across
Caulobacterales
and that the new genus
Acaudatibacter
, described here, includes the first reported
Caulobacterales
lineage with photoautotrophic potential. Our study advances our understanding of an environmentally widespread bacterial order and sheds light on the evolution of fundamental prokaryotic features.