The Phylum Echinodermata, comprising approximately 7,000 living species, and 13,000
fossil species, is epitomized by the familiar sea star, a universal symbol of the marine realm …

A major goal of biological classification is to provide a system that conveys phylogenetic
relationships while facilitating lucid communication among researchers. Phylogenetic …

Although the status of Crinoidea (sea lilies and featherstars) as sister group to all other living
echinoderms is well-established, relationships among crinoids, particularly extant forms, are …

Sampling at appropriate spatial scales in the Southern Ocean is logistically challenging and
may influence estimates of diversity by missing intermediate representatives. With the …

Concatenated SSU (18S) and partial LSU (28S) sequences (∼ 2kb) from 12 ingroup taxa,
comprising 2 phoronids, 2 members of each of the craniid, discinid, and lingulid inarticulate …

Seamounts are unique habitats for the deep-sea megabenthos. Several distinctive
environmental conditions, such as limited spatial extent, geographic isolation, swift currents …

The Permian–Triassic mass extinction interval was an important time in the evolutionary
history of the echinoderms. Details of the extinction and, in particular the immediate post …

Understanding the natural world is not possible without an extensive knowledge of
organismal morphology. The encyclopedia of life (Wilson, 2003) would be an empty, sterile …

Different approaches to the significance of morphological characters have led to alternative
opinions on the phyletic affinities within the class Crinoidea. The molecular approach …

Background Taxonomic uncertainties in the morphological species identification and
taxonomic revisions in individual groups are known for all echinoderm classes. These …