Unlocking the Secrets of the Earliest Animal-Chemical Evolution: How Multicellularity Emerged
A new study has uncovered the earliest known animal to have evolved complex chemical communication – and it is surprisingly complex. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have discovered that the earliest known multicellular animal to have evolved complex chemical communication was a small, sponge-like creature that lived over 565 million years ago. The creature, called an Ediacaran biota, was about the size of a fingernail and had a simple, symmetrical body with a single opening. Surprisingly, the creature was capable of sending and receiving chemical signals in order to communicate and coordinate its activities with other organisms. The researchers believe this complex chemical communication could have been used to help the animal survive in its primitive environment. This new discovery sheds light on how early animals interacted and evolved, and could help us better understand the evolution of complex life on Earth.
source: Phys.org