A new publication in the journal Nature has called into question a long-held hypothesis about the last common ancestor of animals. A group of single-celled (or colonial) protists called choanoflagellates are the closest living relatives of animals. Choanoflagellate cells have a whip-like flagellum surrounded by a basket-like structure that they use to capture and eat bacteria floating in sea water. Interestingly, these cells look and function very similar to feeding cells of sponges, one of the earliest-branching groups of animals. […]

Read More from BSC research helps shed light on last common ancestor of animals

Aplacophorans are unusual shell-less and worm-shaped molluscs related to snails, slugs, clams, and octopus. About 400 species are known to science but because there are only a handful of scientists worldwide studying the group, it is estimated that there are likely tenfold more species waiting to be discovered. Little is known about aplacophoran evolutionary history, which has hindered understanding of early molluscan evolution. Dr. Kocot and his collaborators at Auburn University, the University of Bergen, and Rådgivende Biologer in Bergen […]

Read More from Dr. Kocot’s team discovers bizarre new species and sheds light on evolution of molluscs