title: Animal evolution: the enigmatic phylum placozoa revisited.
abstract: A recent report of high levels of genetic variation between strains of Trichoplax adhaerens challenges the traditional view that the phylum Placozoa comprises only one species. At the morphological level, placozoans are amongst the simplest extant animals, but molecular evidence suggests that they may have more complex origins.
authors.affiliation: Comparative Genomics Centre, Molecular Sciences Building 21, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia. david.miller@jcu.edu.au
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Eldon E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Ball
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016678:Genome; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity