Answer to Question #178194 in Zoology for Zainab nawaz

Question

How gelatinous zooplankton are evolutionary related?

Answer 1

Gelatinous species show delicate organs that are perfectly suited to planktonic organisms' floating routine.

Our nearest planktonic relatives are gelatinous zooplankton, salps, and dolioles.

Pteropod and heteropod mollusks, with or without shells, are further down the evolutionary road. To remain afloat, they use their foot as a fin.

Comb jellies, also known as ctenophores, are much more primitive. 8 rows of comb plates made of cilia propel these translucent and iridescent swimmers, which difract light and create iridescent patterns.

Jellyfish abound and float along with the tides. They first emerged 500 million years ago and are among the oldest living organisms.Gelatinous species show delicate organs that are perfectly suited to planktonic organisms' floating routine.Our nearest planktonic relatives are gelatinous zooplankton, salps, and dolioles.

Further from on the evolutionary path are pteropod and heteropod molluskswith. Some siphonophore species are as long as a football field and can be considered the longest animals on earth.

Jellyfish, siphonophores and comb jellies have turned out to be much more resilient than large land animals such as giant mammals and reptiles. They survived the five major episodes of extinction, adapting swiftly while dinosaurs died out.