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As one of the earliest diverging lineages among deuterostomes, echinoderms possess a mineralized skeleton that has yielded an exceptionally rich fossil record. This makes the echinoderms an ideal group for investigating the origin, macroevolutionary patterns, and macroevolutionary processes of deuterostomes. Echinoderms exhibited remarkable morphological disparity and diversity as early as the Cambrian, providing critical material for studying the origin and early radiation of the group, the evolutionary pathway of pentaradial symmetry, the differentiation of early animal niches, and the reconstruction of ancient communities. However, the preservation of early echinoderms is constrained by taphonomic biases, limiting the resolution of core scientific questions. In China, the Cambrian strata are continuous and complete, containing a variety of exceptionally preserved fossil Lagerstätten. These Lagerstätten provide irreplaceable and essential material for research on the early origin and evolution of the echinoderms. In recent years, driven by the discovery of more and better-preserved fossils and the application of new methodologies, echinoderm research has progressed steadily. This review systematically synthesize the research progress in this field, focusing on Cambrian echinoderm research, with an emphasis on their origin, evolution, taxonomy, morphological diversity, paleoecology, and paleobiogeography, while highlighting the contributions of research based on Chinese fossil records. Furthermore, this review proposes future scientific questions worthy of attention.
ZHENG et al. (Mon,) studied this question.