Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

What is Evolutionary History?

What is Evolutionary History?

Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.

The Colonization of Land

The Colonization of Land

Changes in the environment of the early Earth drove the evolution of organisms. As prokaryotic organisms in the oceans began to photosynthesize, they produced oxygen. Eventually, oxygen saturated the oceans and entered the air, resulting in an increase in atmospheric oxygen concentration, known as the oxygen revolution approximately 2.3 billion years ago. Therefore, organisms that could use oxygen for cellular respiration had an advantage. More than 1.5 years ago, eukaryotic cells and...

The Evidence for Evolution

The Evidence for Evolution

Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.

Origin of Photosynthesis

Origin of Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis represents a fundamental biological process that transformed Earth's atmosphere and paved the way for complex life. Emerging roughly 3.4–3.8 billion years ago, the earliest photosynthetic organisms harnessed light energy to produce organic compounds. These anoxygenic phototrophs used electron donors like hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) or ferrous iron (Fe²⁺), rather than water, and did not release molecular oxygen (O₂) as a byproduct. Various groups, including green sulfur and purple...

The Fossil Record

The Fossil Record

The fossil record documents only a small fraction of all organisms that have ever inhabited Earth. Fossilization is a rare process, and most organisms never become fossils. Moreover, the fossil record only exhibits fossils that have been discovered. Nevertheless, sedimentary rock fossils of long-lived, abundant, hard-bodied organisms dominate the fossil record. These fossils offer valuable information, such as an organism's physical form, behavior, and age. Studying the fossil record helps...

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Siphonophore genome structure and the evolution of functional specialization.

PloS one·2026

Same author

Sharkmer: repurposing PCR primers for targeted genome assembly using in silico PCR.

Bioinformatics (Oxford, England)·2026

Same author

T-shaped alignments integrating HIV-1 near full-length genome and partial pol sequences can improve phylogenetic inference of transmission clusters.

PLoS computational biology·2025

Same author

Correction: Zooid arrangement and colony growth in Porpita porpita.

Frontiers in zoology·2025

Same author

Zooid arrangement and colony growth in Porpita porpita.

Frontiers in zoology·2025

Same author

Population genomics of a sailing siphonophore reveals genetic structure in the open ocean.

Current biology : CB·2025

Same journal

A global response contributes to tissue size robustness upon local induction of apoptosis.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Prebilaterian origin of monoaminergic signaling.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

CLASP-dependent microtubule stabilization generates microtubule-based protrusive forces during Drosophila epithelial morphogenesis.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Pigeons make slow, divergent eye movements during flight and large, convergent eye movements when landing.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Temperature signals drive grass secondary cell wall thickening.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Neuronal RNAi and oxygen-sensing circuit shape germline resilience to heat stress.

Current biology : CB·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples

In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples

Published on: August 31, 2018

Evolution: out of the ocean.

Casey W Dunn¹

¹Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA. casey_dunn@brown.edu

Current Biology : CB

|March 23, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Animals may have colonized land earlier than previously believed, potentially preceding the evolution of land plants (embryophytes). This discovery reshapes our understanding of early terrestrial ecosystems and organismal interactions.

More Related Videos

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Published on: January 19, 2018

Adaptation at the Extremes of Life: Experimental Evolution with the Extremophile Archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

Adaptation at the Extremes of Life: Experimental Evolution with the Extremophile Archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

Published on: June 14, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 13, 2026

In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples

In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples

Published on: August 31, 2018

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Published on: January 19, 2018

Adaptation at the Extremes of Life: Experimental Evolution with the Extremophile Archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

Adaptation at the Extremes of Life: Experimental Evolution with the Extremophile Archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

Published on: June 14, 2024

Area of Science:

Paleontology
Evolutionary Biology
Ecology

Background:

The timeline for animal terrestrialization is a key question in evolutionary history.
Understanding the sequence of colonization between animals and plants informs ecological development.

Purpose of the Study:

To re-evaluate the timing of animal colonization of land.
To investigate the potential precedence of animal colonization over land plants.

Main Methods:

Analysis of fossil records.
Phylogenetic comparative methods.
Geochemical dating techniques.

Main Results:

New data suggest animal colonization of land occurred earlier than previously estimated.
Evidence indicates animals may have colonized land before embryophytes (land plants).

Conclusions:

The terrestrialization of animals likely predates the diversification of early land flora.
This finding necessitates a revision of early terrestrial ecosystem dynamics and inter-kingdom interactions.