There is some evidence that pharyngeal slits occur in certain species of echinoderms that appear early in the fossil record. If confirmed, what do these data suggest?
a. Echinoderms are chordates.
b. Pharyngeal slits were present in the earliest echinoderms and lost later.
c. Some lineages of echinoderms are more closely related to chordates than others.
d. Pharyngeal slits should not be used as a trait in phylogenetic analysis.
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