The earliest evolution of the animals remains a taxing biological problem, as all extant
clades are highly derived and the fossil record is not usually considered to be helpful. The …

The evolutionary emergence of animals is one of the most significant episodes in the history
of life, but its timing remains poorly constrained. Molecular clocks estimate that animals …

The origin of motility in bilaterian animals represents an evolutionary innovation that
transformed the Earth system. This innovation probably occurred in the late Ediacaran …

Evolving multicellularity is easy, especially in phototrophs and osmotrophs whose multicells
feed like unicells. Evolving animals was much harder and unique; probably only one …

We present the genome of the moon jellyfish Aurelia, a genome from a cnidarian with a
medusa life stage. Our analyses suggest that gene gain and loss in Aurelia is comparable to …

ABSTRACT Rocks of the Ediacaran System (635–541 Ma) preserve fossil evidence of some
of the earliest complex macroscopic organisms, many of which have been interpreted as …

Natural products preserved in the geological record can function as 'molecular fossils',
providing insight into organisms and physiologies that existed in the deep past. One …

Summary The superphylum Panarthropoda (Arthropoda, Onychophora, and Tardigrada)
exhibits a remarkable diversity of segment morphologies, enabling these animals to occupy …

Mobility represents a key innovation in the evolution of complex animal life. The ability to
move allows for the exploration of new food sources, escapes from unfavorable …

The Ediacara Biota represents the oldest fossil evidence for the appearance of animals but
linking these taxa to specific clades has proved challenging. Dickinsonia is an abundant …