title: Molecular phylogeny of Metazoa (animals): monophyletic origin.
abstract: The phylogenetic relationships within the kingdom Animalia (Metazoa) have long been questioned. Focusing on the lowest eukaryotic multicellular organisms, the metazoan phylum Porifera (sponges), it remained unsolved if they evolved multicellularity independently from a separate protist lineage (polyphyly of animals) of derived from the same protist group as the other animal phyla (monophyly). After having analyzed genes typical for multicellularity (adhesion molecules/receptors and a nuclear receptor), we present evidence that Porifera should be placed in the kingdom Animalia. We therefore suggest a monophyletic origin for all animals.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie der Universität, Mainz.
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D037102:Lectins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011161:Porifera / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D037102:Lectins; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases