Table 3 Data table template for recording observations of animal characters from ten representatives of nine animal phyla (adapted from Table 18.1 in Morgan and Carter 2005)

Animal

Symmetry (none, bilateral, radial)

Tissues (tissues or not? If yes, how many layers?)

Body cavity (pseudo-coelomate, acoelomate, eucoelomate)

Digestion (intra-cellular, one opening, two openings)

Circulatory system (none, open, closed)

Respiration (e.g., cell membranes, gills)

Locomotion (e.g., crawling, swimming)

Support system (e.g., hydrostatic skeleton, exoskeleton)

Segmented (yes or no)

Appendages (yes or no)

Nervous system (e.g., nerve cells, brain, nerve cord)