[News] Primitive Microbe Offers Model For Evolution Of Animals

[Moontanman]

Primitive Microbe Offers Model For Evolution Of Animals

ScienceDaily (Dec. 18, 2001) — December 18, 2001 -- A microorganism whose evolutionary roots can be traced to the era of the first multicellular animals may provide a glimpse of how single-celled organisms made a critical evolutionary leap.

 

Primitive Microbe Offers Model For Evolution Of Animals

[Pyrotex]

The evolutionary leap described is essentially a sensor on the cell's surface through which chemical signals can pass -- the precursor to the modern multi-cellular binding site.

 

The fact that it took ...what? ...half a billion years to evolve this particular mutation pays homage to the trillions of cell membrane mutations and defects that had to be "tried" before finding one that would do something really incredibly useful: allow two cells to attach and pass signaling chemicals between them.