Editing Sponge (section)

=== Phylogeny ===

The phylogeny of sponges has been debated heavily since the advent of [[phylogenetics]]. Originally thought to be the most basal animal phylum, there is now considerable evidence that [[Ctenophora]] may hold that title instead.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Giribet |first1=Gonzalo |last2=Edgecombe |first2=Gregory |title=The Invertebrate Tree of Life |date=3 March 2020 |publisher=Princeton University Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Schultz, Darrin |display-authors=et al. |title=Ancient gene linkages support ctenophores as sister to other animals |journal=Nature |date=17 May 2023 |volume=618 |issue=7963 |pages=110–117 |doi=10.1038/s41586-023-05936-6|pmid=37198475 |pmc=10232365 |bibcode=2023Natur.618..110S }}</ref> Additionally, the [[monophyly]] of the phylum is now under question. Several studies have concluded that [[Eumetazoa|all other animals]] emerged from within the sponges, and usually recover that the [[calcareous sponge]]s and [[Homoscleromorpha]] are closer to other animals than to [[demosponge]]s.<ref name="Sperling09">{{cite journal |last1=Sperling |first1=Erik |last2=Peterson |first2=Kevin |last3=Pisani |first3=David |title=Phylogenetic-Signal Dissection of Nuclear Housekeeping Genes Supports the Paraphyly of Sponges and the Monophyly of Eumetazoa |journal=Oxford Academic |date=October 2009 |volume=26 |issue=10 |pages=2261–2274 |doi=10.1093/molbev/msp148 |pmid=19597161 |url=https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/26/10/2261/1109936?searchresult=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Borchiellini |title=Sponge paraphyly and the origin of Metazoa |journal=Oxford Academic |date=1 January 2001 |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=171–179 |doi=10.1046/j.1420-9101.2001.00244.x |pmid=29280585 |url=https://academic.oup.com/jeb/article/14/1/171/7323199?searchresult=1}}</ref> The internal relationships of Porifera have proven to be less uncertain. A close relationship of Homoscleromorpha and Calcarea has been recovered in nearly all studies, whether or not they support sponge or eumetazoan monophyly.<ref name="Sperling09"></ref><ref name="Feuda_2017"></ref><ref name="Gazave_2012"></ref><ref name="Gazave2010"></ref> The position of [[glass sponge]]s is also fairly certain, with a majority of studies recovering them as the sister of the demosponges.<ref name="Gazave2010"></ref><ref name="Feuda_2017"></ref><ref name="Sperling09"></ref> Thus, the uncertainty at the base of the animal family tree is probably best represented by the below cladogram.

{{clade
|label1=Animalia
|1={{clade
   |label1=
   |1={{clade
      |label1=
      |1='''[[Hexactinellid]]a''' [[File:Glass-sponge, Euplectella aspergillum.jpg|70px]]
      |2='''[[Demospongiae]]''' [[File:Callyspongiatransparent.png||50px]]
      }}
   |2={{clade
      |label1=
      |1='''[[Calcarea]]''' [[File:Clathrina clathrus.jpg|55px]]
      |2='''[[Homoscleromorpha]]''' [[File:Oscarella lobularis - Schmidt, 1862.jpg|55px]]
      }}
   |3=[[Ctenophora]] [[File:Mnemiopsis leidyi 247259012.png|60px]]
   |4=[[ParaHoxozoa]] [[File:European wasp white bg.jpg|60px]]
   }}
}}