MBL March Madness: Deuterostome Division

Deuterostomia may not sound familiar, but it should: you are a deuterostome! Most deuterostomes belong to one of two groups that include most of its members—echinoderms, which includes animals such as the spiny-skinned starfish, sea urchins, and their relatives, and chordates, which include fish and other vertebrates (including humans). The name deuterostome means "mouth second,” because during cell development, the cavity that will become the organism’s anus is formed first by the blastopore, while the mouth is formed secondarily on the opposite side. This is the opposite of the organisms in the Ecdysozoan Division.

Meet the Members of the Deuterostome Division

• • Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)
  • Sea Squirt (Ciona intestinalis)
  • Western Clawed Frog (Xenopus tropicalis)
  • Acorn Worm (Saccoglossus kowalevskii)

Explore the Other Divisions

• • Lophotrochozoan Division
  • Ecdysozoan Division
  • Non-Bilaterian Division

What is MBL March Madness?

Based on the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament, during MBL March Madness, popular MBL organisms face off for your votes. YOU have the opportunity to decide what organism is crowned victorious by voting for your favorite organisms in a series of head-to-head match-ups. Voting will take place on the MBL social media channels. 

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