In Figure 33.2, which two main clades branch from the most recent common ancestor of the eumetazoans?
A) Porifera and Cnidaria
B) Lophotrochozoa and Ecdysozoa
C) Cnidaria and Bilateria
D) Deuterostomia and Bilateria

Question

In Figure 33.2, which two main clades branch from the most recent common ancestor of the eumetazoans?
A) Porifera and Cnidaria 
B) Lophotrochozoa and Ecdysozoa 
C) Cnidaria and Bilateria 
D) Deuterostomia and Bilateria

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The two main clades that branch from the most recent common ancestor of the eumetazoans are Cnidaria and Bilateria. Porifera is a separate clade that diverged earlier, and Lophotrochozoa and Ecdysozoa are both subgroups within the larger Bilateria clade. Deuterostomia is a separate clade that includes chordates (like humans) and echinoderms (like starfish), and is not part of the eumetazoan lineage.