Tag

Sea Squirts

All articles tagged with #sea squirts

science2 years ago

"The Mysterious Force Behind Life's Initiation: Unraveling Friction's Role"

A study from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria reveals that sea squirt oocytes utilize internal friction to undergo developmental changes post-conception, shedding light on the role of friction forces in shaping and forming an evolving organism. Ascidians, or sea squirts, are used as model organisms for understanding vertebrate development due to their similarities with humans. The research provides new insights into the mechanical forces that determine cell and organismal shape, highlighting the pivotal role of friction in embryonic development.

paleontology2 years ago

From Ocean Floor to Success: The Rise of Sea Squirts

Researchers have discovered a 500-million-year-old fossil, named Megasiphon thylakos, that closely resembles a modern sea squirt, providing evidence that the ancestors of tunicates were bottom-dwellers. This finding pushes back the origin of the basic vertebrate body plan by 50 million years. The fossil's well-preserved soft tissues, including muscle structures and two siphons, strongly suggest that it is a tunicate. The discovery raises questions about the scarcity of tunicate fossils and the evolution of their different lifestyles.