loomariik

Loomariik, known in English as the Animal Kingdom, is a major group in biological taxonomy that comprises all multicellular, eukaryotic organisms that are heterotrophic and predominantly motile at some life stage. Members typically lack rigid cell walls and possess specialized tissues and, in many lineages, organ systems. Most reproduce sexually, with life cycles ranging from direct development to complex metamorphoses.

Taxonomically, loomariik lies within the domain Eukaryota and is divided into numerous phyla, including Porifera, Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, Annelida, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, and Chordata. Sponges (Porifera) are among the earliest-diverging lineages and show minimal tissue organization, while the remainder display true tissues and, in many cases, bilateral symmetry and segmented bodies. The Bilateria split into major groups such as protostomes and deuterostomes, giving rise to most animal diversity.

Ecology and evolution: loomariik occupies nearly every habitat—from marine depths to freshwater and terrestrial environments—and plays fundamental roles as predators, grazers, scavengers, and, in the case of insects and other pollinators, as mutualists with plants. The group has a rich fossil record and underwent rapid diversification during the Cambrian period, about 541 to 485 million years ago.

Notable subgroups include sponges, jellyfish and corals, flatworms, nematodes, segmented worms, mollusks, arthropods (insects, spiders, crustaceans), echinoderms, and chordates (which include all vertebrates). Loomariik's diversity reflects a wide array of body plans, reproductive strategies, and ecological roles, making it a central focus of biology and ecology.