GoKawiilComb jellies (ctenophores) are enigmatic marine invertebrates, with gelatinous bodies that vary in size from a few millimetres to more than one metre (Fig. 1a). They are evolutionary sisters to the group containing all other animals1, meaning that the two groups share a common ancestor. Writing in Nature, Kremnyov et al.2 examine whether ctenophores have an embryonic structure called an organizer, which directs the developmental fate of nearby cells and establishes the body axis. The authors present convincing evidence that ctenophores, too, have an axis-forming organizer, with implications for how researchers understand the evolution of the organizer itself, and for their knowledge of the last common ancestor of animals.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-02040-3
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Competing Interests The authors declare no competing interests.
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