Scientists have identified the comb jelly as the first animal to branch off from the common ancestor of all animals, using new chromosomal analysis techniques that compare gene arrangements across species, resolving a long-standing debate between sponges and comb jellies.
Scientists have used chromosomal analysis techniques to determine that the comb jelly was the first animal to branch off from the common ancestor of all animals on Earth, rather than the sea sponge. By comparing the placements of certain groups of genes in sponges and comb jellies to their closest single-cell non-animal relatives, researchers found that the comb jelly had the least reshuffling of genes on chromosomes, indicating that it split off from the original genome first. This discovery sheds light on the history of animal evolution and the mechanisms powering it.
Scientists have used chromosomal analysis techniques to determine that the comb jelly was the first animal to branch off from our common ancestor. This discovery sheds light on the history of animal evolution and the mechanisms behind it. The technique involved comparing the placements of certain groups of genes in sponges and comb jellies to their closest single-cell non-animal relatives, with the least reshuffling of genes indicating the first to evolve. The comb jelly's genetic isolation makes it the sister to all other animals and the most genetically distinct.
Scientists have identified the most recent ancestor of the sister to all animals via the novel use of chromosomal analysis, settling a central question about the evolution of the entire tree of animal life. The study has resolved the long-running debate over whether sea sponges or comb jellies are most closely related to the sister group. The team found 14 groups of genes that appeared on separate chromosomes in comb jellies and their single-celled, non-animal relatives, indicating that they are descendants of the sister group that broke from the animal family tree before the mixing occurred.
Scientists have identified the most recent ancestor of the sister to all animals through the use of chromosomal analysis, settling a long-running debate about the evolution of the entire tree of animal life. The study found that comb jellies are descendants of the sister group that broke from the animal family tree, before the mixing occurred. The findings resolve the controversial question over the lineage of the entire animal tree of life.