6533b824fe1ef96bd1280866

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Aging in Sponges

Matthias WiensHeinz C. SchröderWerner E.g. Müller

subject

Multicellular organismPhylum PoriferaExtant taxonPhylogenetic treePhylumEvolutionary biologyBiologyAncestor

description

The sponges (phylum Porifera) are the lowest and phylogenetically oldest, still extant phylum of Metazoa [1, 2]. These animals are considered as the evolutionary earliest living relicts of the successful transition from the (perhaps) unicellular to the multicellular state [2]. Evidence has been presented by molecular phylogenetic analysis that sponges share a common ancestor with the other metazoan phyla, the hypothetical Urmetazoa [2, 3].

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2003-01-01
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0671-1_4