Page 70 - The Cambrian Evidence that Darwin Failed to Comprehend

The Cambrian Evidence That Darwin Failed to Comprehend

The factors determining phyla are rather basic, including such
details as the number and kinds of organs and tissues, body symme-
41
try and the presence and nature of bodily cavities. Accordingly,
you can see that the factors determining phyla are based more upon
internal organization than external features. For example, the elon-
gated shape of an earthworm is a feature shared by several phyla.
Yet although different creatures share a similar worm-like appear-
ance, because their internal structures are completely different they
are viewed as independent species belonging to entirely different
phyla.
Internal organization involves such things as the exchange of
gasses like oxygen and carbon dioxide inside the tissues, food ab-
sorption and how reproduction takes place. The largest phylum is
that of shelled organisms. The 35 or so animal phyla include such di-
verse phyla as the Mollusca which contains some soft-bodied crea-

68