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PALAEOECOLOGY

Early echinoderms decouple form and function

Rapid morphological evolution in early echinoderms was later outpaced by increases in ecological diversification, indicating the phylum exhibited morphological volatility and ecological constraints at its origin.

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Fig. 1: Examples of morphological and ecological disparity in Cambrian and Ordovician echinoderms.

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Correspondence to Selina R. Cole.

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Cole, S.R. Early echinoderms decouple form and function. Nat Ecol Evol 6, 247–248 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01664-8

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