Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The origin of the multicellular animals has been investigated by rate invariant analysis of 18S rRNA sequences. These analyses indicate that (i) the Metazoa is a monophyletic taxon; (ii) the Deuterostomia is a monophyletic taxon; (iii) the Annelida-Mollusca lineage is the sister group of an arthropod subgroup; and (iv) the last common ancestor of the Annelida-Mollusca lineage is most parsimoniously derived from a segmented, hemocoelic ancestor with an open circulatory system.
James A. Lake (Mon,) studied this question.