GoKawiilGenomic evidence strengthens case that comb jellies are earliest animal lineage
Researchers studying ctenophores, gelatinous marine creatures often called comb jellies, have used their genetics to probe fundamental questions about animal evolution, including the origins of nervous systems and bioluminescence. A 2023 study analyzing chromosome structure bolstered the argument that ctenophores, not sponges, split off first from the rest of the animal kingdom, challenging over a century of scientific consensus.