conv.

All stories
ScienceQuiet 4d · day 8

Ctenophores emerge as key to understanding early animal evolution

Marine biologists study comb jellies to answer fundamental questions about how nervous systems and bioluminescence evolved.

newest coverage 3d agosummary written 6d ago9 pieces42 likes & upvotes4 comments NewswiresHacker NewsGoogle NewsMastodon

What to know

  • Ctenophores, not sponges, are now recognized as the earliest branching animal lineage after a 2023 landmark study analyzing chromosome organization.
  • Despite being simpler organisms, ctenophores possess muscles and a simple nervous system—more complex than sponges—challenging assumptions about early animal evolution.
  • Marine biologists are using ctenophores to unlock fundamental questions about nervous system origins, bioluminescence, and adaptation to extreme deep-sea environments.

“It's really important to study organisms that might seem strange or weird because they can tell us a lot about the physical, chemical, and biological principles of life, which can then be applied to ourselves.”

Itay Budin, Biophysicist · Quanta Magazine ↗

Steven Haddock Marine biologist at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research InstitutePawel Burkhardt Evolutionary biologist at University of BergenItay Budin Biophysicist at University of California, San Diego

Ctenophores emerge as key to understanding early animal evolution
quantamagazine.org

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in two hours at Sep 16, 11 AM; 9 pieces over 8 days (2 articles · 7 posts) Sep 16, 11 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 1, Newswires 1Sep 16, 1 PM — quietSep 16, 3 PM — quietSep 16, 5 PM — quietSep 16, 7 PM — quietSep 16, 9 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Sep 16, 11 PM — quietSep 17, 1 AM — quietSep 17, 3 AM — quietSep 17, 5 AM — quietSep 17, 7 AM — quietSep 17, 9 AM — quietSep 17, 11 AM — quietSep 17, 1 PM — quietSep 17, 3 PM — quietSep 17, 5 PM — quietSep 17, 7 PM — quietSep 17, 9 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 17, 11 PM — quietSep 18, 1 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Sep 18, 3 AM — quietSep 18, 5 AM — quietSep 18, 7 AM — quietSep 18, 9 AM — quietSep 18, 11 AM — quietSep 18, 1 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Sep 18, 3 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 18, 5 PM — quietSep 18, 7 PM — quietSep 18, 9 PM — quietSep 18, 11 PM — quietSep 19, 1 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 19, 3 AM — quietSep 19, 5 AM — quietSep 19, 7 AM — quietSep 19, 9 AM — quietSep 19, 11 AM — quietSep 19, 1 PM — quietSep 19, 3 PM — quietSep 19, 5 PM — quietSep 19, 7 PM — quietSep 19, 9 PM — quietSep 19, 11 PM — quietSep 20, 1 AM — quietSep 20, 3 AM — quietSep 20, 5 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 9 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 5 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quiet 1
Sep 17Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 4:45 AM ET
  1. 1

    Quanta Magazine features ctenophore research as biological frontier

    An article highlights how ctenophores are helping answer long-standing questions about nervous system evolution and bioluminescence origins over the past decade.

    “Over the past decade, ctenophores have helped answer long-standing questions about fundamental biology, from how early nervous systems evolved to the origins of the mesmerizing phenomenon of bioluminescence.”
    — Quanta Magazine · source
    • hkrn@mstdn.social

      Ctenophores: Wonders of Biology L: https://www. quantamagazine.org/ctenophores -arent-just-beautiful-theyre-biological-wonders-20260916/ C: https:// news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4 9735541 posted on 2026.09.16 at 21:58:25 (c=1, p=3)

      hkrn@mstdn.socialMastodon5d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. background

    Landmark study identifies ctenophores as earliest branching animal lineage — A chromosome organization analysis determined that ctenophores, not sponges, are the sister group to all other animals, overturning a century-old scientific consensus. The finding came after years of debate between research labs.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Ctenophores Aren’t Just Beautiful. They’re Biological Wonders.

    first by Quanta Magazine, 7d ago · also Quanta