diphyletic theory

phylogeny

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animal lineage

  • Tentative phylogenetic scheme for the evolution of the human lineage. Solid bars indicate the time ranges during which species are thought to have existed, based on fossil evidence. Dotted lines signify evolutionary relationships between hominin species that have been proposed on the basis of the fossil evidence.
    In phylogeny: Animal evolution

    The alternative diphyletic theory has been proposed by many zoologists. It contends that the higher metazoans had two lines of descent; one led to annelids, arthropods, and mollusks, and the other led to echinoderms and chordates. Both groups emanated from an ancient flatworm.

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