Question

Describe at least two major changes to the animal phylogenetic tree that have come about due to molecular or genetic findings.

(a) The discovery of the ecdysozoan clade, which includes arthropods, nematodes, and other animals that shed their skin periodically.
(b) The establishment of the lophotrochozoan clade, which encompasses mollusks, annelids, and other animals with a distinctive larval form called a trochophore.
(c) The realization that sponges are not animals but rather a separate kingdom of multicellular organisms.
(d) The recognition that fungi are more closely related to animals than plants.

Answer 1

Molecular research has brought about significant changes to the animal phylogenetic tree, including the discovery of the ecdysozoan clade and the establishment of the lophotrochozoan clade.

Step-by-step explanation:

Molecular research has led to two major changes in the animal phylogenetic tree. Firstly, the discovery of the ecdysozoan clade, which includes arthropods, nematodes, and other animals that shed their skin periodically. This finding shifted the relationship between annelids and arthropods, placing arthropods in the ecdysozoan clade and annelids in the lophotrochozoan clade. Secondly, the establishment of the lophotrochozoan clade, which includes mollusks, annelids, and other animals with a distinctive larval form called a trochophore. These changes were brought about through molecular and genetic findings, providing a more accurate understanding of animal relationships.