What major invertebrate grouping does modern analysis frequently use to classify Wiwaxia?

Answer

Stem-group Lophotrochozoan

The precise placement of Wiwaxia on the evolutionary tree has historically been difficult, leading to early suggestions linking it to mollusks or annelids. Current scientific understanding generally places Wiwaxia within the broader category of a stem-group Lophotrochozoan. Lophotrochozoa is a vast clade that encompasses modern phyla such as mollusks (like snails and clams), annelids (segmented worms), and brachiopods. By classifying Wiwaxia as a stem-group member, researchers suggest it diverged relatively early from the ancestral line that eventually gave rise to these diverse, well-established modern animal groups, occupying a critical transitional position in the fossil record.

What major invertebrate grouping does modern analysis frequently use to classify Wiwaxia?

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Wiwaxia corrugata - Creature of the Cambrian Explosion ~ 505 mya

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animalorganismfossilWiwaxiaCambrian