TY - JOUR
T1 - The affinities and origins of the crown-of-thorns sea star acanthaster gervais
AU - Blake, Daniel B.
PY - 1979
Y1 - 1979
N2 - Comparative morphology of both complete organisms and individual skeletal elements reveal strong similarities between the crown-of-thorns sea star Acanthaster and various members of the Oreasteridae. The monogeneric Acanthasteridae, therefore, is transferred from the Spinulosida to the Valvatida and assigned a position near to the Oreasteridae, from which it appears derived. Acanthaster is not considered to be morphologically isolated and therefore in itself does not imply the past existence of a once more diverse group of which it is a part, as has been suggested. Acanthaster morphology may have evolved in association with the habit of crawling over irregular topographies in higher energy environments. An undescribed Eocene oreasterid shows that a potential Acanthaster ancestral nvorphology has been in existence at least since that time.
AB - Comparative morphology of both complete organisms and individual skeletal elements reveal strong similarities between the crown-of-thorns sea star Acanthaster and various members of the Oreasteridae. The monogeneric Acanthasteridae, therefore, is transferred from the Spinulosida to the Valvatida and assigned a position near to the Oreasteridae, from which it appears derived. Acanthaster is not considered to be morphologically isolated and therefore in itself does not imply the past existence of a once more diverse group of which it is a part, as has been suggested. Acanthaster morphology may have evolved in association with the habit of crawling over irregular topographies in higher energy environments. An undescribed Eocene oreasterid shows that a potential Acanthaster ancestral nvorphology has been in existence at least since that time.
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U2 - 10.1080/00222937900770241
DO - 10.1080/00222937900770241
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0039229863
SN - 0022-2933
VL - 13
SP - 303
EP - 314
JO - Journal of Natural History
JF - Journal of Natural History
IS - 3
ER -