Xenambulacraria


Xenambulacraria is a proposed clade of animals with bilateral symmetry as an embryo, consisting of the Xenacoelomorpha and the Ambulacraria.
If confirmed, the clade would either be the sister group to the chordates or the sister group to all the other bilaterians, grouped together in Centroneuralia.
Although the validity of the clade relies mostly on phylogenomics, molecular genetics studies have proposed pigment cell clusters expressing polyketide synthase and sulfotransferase as a synapomorphy of Xenambulacraria.

Phylogeny

Xenambulacraria has usually been recovered as a clade inside of either of two distinct phylogenies.

Basal Xenambulacraria

The following phylogeny assumes a paraphyletic Deuterostomia, with Xenambulacraria at the base of Bilateria.

Xenambulacraria inside Deuterostomia

The following phylogeny assumes a monophyletic Deuterostomia, with Xenambulacraria nested inside of it.