5. Some people have suggested that Tardigrades (water bears)
come from another planet. Look at the phylogenetic tree, which has
been constructed based on DNA and morphological data, to
A) explain whether the alien origin of Tardigrades
is supported. B) How would the phylogenetic tree
look like if Tardigrades were indeed alien? C) Do
organisms that molt (Ecdysozoans, includes: Loricifera,
Kinorhyncha, Nematoda, Tardigrada, Arthropoda and Onychophora) form
a monophyletic group? Explain. D) As what type of
trait would you classify the ability to molt (synapomorphy,
symplesiomorphy, homoplasy)? Explain.

Pseudocoelomates Segmented Eumetazoa Protostomes Deutero Spiralia Acoelo Ecdysozoa stomes morpha Platyzoa Lophotrochozoa CO a Bilateria Metazoa Phylogenetic tree of animal phyla. The red circles depict animal groups that present a trait known as pseudocoelom, while the blue circles depict animal groups that show a pattern of segmentation





