Question

Echinoderms are deuterostomes. what does this indicate about their relationship to other animals?

Answer 1

Echinoderms being deuterostomes signifies that they share a closer evolutionary relationship with chordates, like humans, compared to other invertebrates due to their embryonic development, where the mouth appears after the anus.

Step-by-step explanation:

Echinoderms being deuterostomes indicates a closer relationship to chordates, which includes humans, than to other animal phyla such as mollusks, annelids, and arthropods, which are protostomes. The distinction between deuterostomes and protostomes is based on embryonic development patterns; specifically, in deuterostomes, the first opening (the blastopore) becomes the anus, and the mouth develops secondarily. The superphylum Deuterostomia includes the phyla Echinodermata and Chordata, both of which share traits such as a complex embryonic development and, in some cases, an internal skeleton. Notably, echinoderms like sea stars and sand dollars possess a unique water vascular system and radial symmetry in adulthood, whereas their larvae exhibit bilateral symmetry.

Echinoderms belong to the phylum Echinodermata. They are deuterostomes, which means their embryonic development follows a specific pattern. Unlike protostomes, which include mollusks and arthropods, echinoderms are more closely related to chordates, such as humans. This relationship is indicated by their classification as deuterostomes.

Answer 2

The thing with this is that echinoderms are more closely related to chordates than the other invertebrates, and many of them are protostomes. Please have in mind that chordates are animals that are related to the vertebrates together with the sea squirts. Also remember that a multicellular organism that are developed from a primary embryonic opening of their mouth