Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 11, 2026
10:23
A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
Published on: July 11, 2025
563
Sponging away phylogenomic incongruence
Peter O Mulhair1, Anthony K Redmond2
1Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|November 13, 2025
Summary
Genetic analysis reveals sponges are likely the most distant animal relatives to humans. This finding clarifies the early evolution of the animal kingdom and our place within it.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genomics
- Zoology
Background:
- Understanding the evolutionary relationships between early animals is crucial for deciphering animal origins.
- Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding the earliest branching animal lineages.
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