Final answer:
Phoronids and other animals like sea stars can become a new individual through a process called fragmentation, where a part of the animal has the ability to grow into a complete organism. This is a form of asexual reproduction that allows for population growth and species survival under specific circumstances.
Step-by-step explanation:
How Phoronids Can Become a New Animal Through Regeneration
Phoronids, a group of marine animals, have a strong regenerative ability that allows them to produce new individuals through a process known as fragmentation. Regeneration is the process where an organism redevelops lost or damaged parts, which in some cases leads to the formation of a new individual. This form of asexual reproduction is observed in several other groups of animals, including echinoderms like sea stars, and involves an individual breaking into parts, with each part possessing the capacity to grow into a complete organism.
For instance, sea stars can regenerate a whole new organism from a single arm coupled with a part of the central disc. This type of regeneration is an effective form of reproduction and can result in an increase in population, especially if the animals are targeted by predators or experience accidental damage. Furthermore, this method can also be considered a survival strategy, ensuring the continuation of the species when sexual reproduction is not possible.
Overall, the remarkable regenerative abilities within certain animal groups underline the diversity of reproductive strategies in the animal kingdom. While less common, some vertebrates also exhibit forms of asexual reproduction, such as parthenogenesis, where an individual develops from an unfertilized egg.