The evolutionary position of leeches is best described as
A) a link between roundworms and segmented worms because they have a fixed number of segments.
B) closest to the primitive annelid ancestor that later gave rise to all other annelids.
C) closest to the polychaetes due to their common aquatic life style.
D) is a monophyletic clade within the Clitellata.
E) is a paraphyletic group.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Leeches belong to the subclass Hirudinea within the class Clitellata, which is a monophyletic group of segmented worms (annelids) that also includes earthworms.

The Evolutionary Position of Leeches Is Best Described as