A Molecular Phylogeny of the Metazoa

后生动物包括地球上所有不同的动物群体。由于缺乏关于这些群体确切关系的信息，对这些群体在形式和栖息地上多样化的方式的了解受到阻碍。线粒体DNA分子的碱基序列及其编码的基因的排列将被确定为这项研究中每个主要群体的代表。这些数据将与公布的其他群体成员的线粒体DNA序列数据结合起来，然后进行分析，目的是更好地了解不同动物群体之间的遗传关系。使用来自两个不同分子水平(DNA碱基序列和基因排列)的数据，提供了一致性的内部检查，在研究这种不同和遥远的亲缘关系组时是适当和必要的。这项研究的结果将为第一次明确分析后生动物的形式、多样性和生态趋势奠定基础。

The Metazoa includes all of the diverse groups of animals on Earth. An understanding of the manner in which these groups have diversified in form and habitat is hampered by the lack of information concerning their precise relationships. The sequence of bases in the mitochondrial DNA molecule and the arrangements of the genes encoded by it will be determined for a representative of each major group included in this study. These data will be combined with published sequence data for the mitochondrial DNAs of members of other groups, and then analyzed with the goal of achieving a better understanding of the genetic relationships among the various groups of animals. The use of data from, two different molecular levels (DNA base sequence and gene arrangement), provides an internal check for consistency and is appropriate and necessary when studying such dissimilar and distantly related groups. The results of this study will form the basis for the first clear analysis of trends in the form, diversity, and ecology of the Metazoa.