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Evolution

A sisterly dispute

Nature volume 529, pages 286–287 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Which phylum first branched off from the animal phylogenetic tree is a contested issue. A new analysis challenges the proposal that comb jellies are the sister group to all other animals, and emphasizes a 'sponges-first' view. Three evolutionary biologists weigh up the evidence.

The topic in brief

  • There are five major branches of animals: Porifera (sponges), Cnidaria (jellyfishes, corals and related species), Ctenophora (comb jellies), Placozoa (Trichoplax) and Bilateria (all other animal phyla).

  • Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Pisani et al.1 reanalyse some existing data and support the case that Porifera are the sister group to all other animals.

  • The authors propose that this conclusion fits with the fact that sponges lack features present in the other phyla, such as a nervous system and muscles.

  • However, other recent genomic analyses have suggested that the more complex Ctenophora are the sister group.

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Figure 1: The animal tree.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maximilian J. Telford is in the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.,

    Maximilian J. Telford

  2. and in the Department of Neuroscience and at the McKnight Brain Institute, Leonid L. Moroz is at the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, Florida 32080, USA, University of Florida, Gainesville.,

    Leonid L. Moroz

  3. Kenneth M. Halanych is in the Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA.,

    Kenneth M. Halanych

Authors
  1. Maximilian J. Telford
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  2. Leonid L. Moroz
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  3. Kenneth M. Halanych
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Maximilian J. Telford, Leonid L. Moroz or Kenneth M. Halanych.

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Evolutionary biology: Muscle's dual origins

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Telford, M., Moroz, L. & Halanych, K. A sisterly dispute. Nature 529, 286–287 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/529286a

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