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E oandromeda and the origin of C tenophora
Author(s) -
Tang Feng,
Bengtson Stefan,
Wang Yue,
Wang Xunlian,
Yin Chongyu
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
evolution and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.651
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1525-142X
pISSN - 1520-541X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-142x.2011.00499.x
Subject(s) - biology , synapomorphy , sister group , anatomy , group (periodic table) , zoology , evolutionary biology , paleontology , phylogenetics , genetics , clade , physics , gene , quantum mechanics
SUMMARY The E diacaran fossil E oandromeda octobrachiata had a high conical body with eight arms in helicospiral arrangement along the flanks. The arms carried transverse bands proposed to be homologous to ctenophore ctenes (comb plates). E oandromeda is interpreted as an early stem‐group ctenophore, characterized by the synapomorphies ctenes, comb rows, and octoradial symmetry but lacking crown‐group synapomorphies such as tentacles, statoliths, polar fields, and biradial symmetry. It probably had a pelagic mode of life. The early appearance in the fossil record of octoradial ctenophores is most consistent with the P lanulozoa hypothesis ( C tenophora is the sister group of C nidaria + B ilateria) of metazoan phylogeny.