This Is the Oldest Living Creature and It Emerged 700 Million Years Ago, New Study Says
Ctenophores are bioluminescent and some can even regenerate their bodies. Image credit: Orin Zebest
Ctenophores have been around for a very long time, up to 700 million years ago, according to the study. That’s much longer than the dinosaurs, which appeared only 230 million years ago, and even longer than the sponges, which were previously thought to be the oldest living animals with fossils dating back about 600 million years.
How did the scientists figure out that ctenophores are the oldest living creatures? They used a technique called comparative genomics, which involves analyzing the DNA sequences of different animals and looking for similarities and differences. By comparing the genomes of ctenophores with those of other animals, including sponges, jellyfish, worms, flies, and humans, they were able to reconstruct the evolutionary history of all animals and determine which ones diverged from the common ancestor first.
Ctenophores have been around for a very long time, up to 700 million years ago, according to the study. That’s much longer than the dinosaurs, which appeared only 230 million years ago, and even longer than the sponges, which were previously thought to be the oldest living animals with fossils dating back about 600 million years.
How did the scientists figure out that ctenophores are the oldest living creatures? They used a technique called comparative genomics, which involves analyzing the DNA sequences of different animals and looking for similarities and differences. By comparing the genomes of ctenophores with those of other animals, including sponges, jellyfish, worms, flies, and humans, they were able to reconstruct the evolutionary history of all animals and determine which ones diverged from the common ancestor first.
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13 August 2023
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