A group of scientists from Massachusetts Institute of technology have discovered that sea sponges were the first animal to have appeared on earth based on a fossil record that predates Cambrian explosion.
Flash points
- Scientists found trace of rare molecules from a fossil dated before Cambrian explosion which occurred 540 million years ago
- The rare molecule 24-Isopropylcholesterol was found to be present in sea sponges probably making it to be the first evolved organism
- The theory was proved by a research which analysed which gene was responsible for producing 24-IPC and which organisms contained it
- After analysis of genes of 30 organisms, a special gene known as sterol methyl transferase (SMT),can cause an organism to produce 24-IPC if present in correct number of copies was found
- This gene was present in sea sponges and algae
- However an evolutionary tree further showed Sea sponges produced the gene much earlier than Algae
- Thus sea sponges are proved to be found 640 million years ago
Points to note
- This research was headed by David gold
- The research is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Cambrian explosion-541-514 million years ago
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