Discovery of missing link between demosponges and hexactinellids confirms palaeontological model of sponge evolution

Abstract The two major extant groups of siliceous sponges, Demospongiae and Hexactinellida, are generally regarded as sister groups forming the clade Silicea, although the nature of their last common ancestor is uncertain. The fossil record contains a diverse range of basal demosponges that appear t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Joseph P. Botting, Yuandong Zhang, Lucy A. Muir
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2017-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-05604-6