According to the latest data, the first multicellular animals on our planet were ctenophores. If you don’t know what these creatures are, imagine something resembling a jellyfish.
According to biologist Daniel Rohsar, the first animal appeared about 600 or 700 million years ago. At the same time, scientists still do not know exactly what it looks like, as it has a soft body that does not leave traces in the form of fossils.
So how did they come to a new conclusion? They studied the genetic material of various creatures, including honeycomb jellyfish, sea sponges, single-celled animals, and even a microscopic parasite that lives inside fish.
By comparing their genes, experts were able to determine which one arose earlier on Earth. Thus, they concluded that ctenophores were most likely the first.
After them, sponges appeared. And then these first animals passed on their genes to other types of multicellular living organisms currently living on Earth.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
