Could Comb Jellyfish be Humans’ Oldest Ancestors?

Scientists from the University of Miami and the National Human Genome Research Institute, NHGRI, believe that comb jelly fish may have been the oldest multicellular animal on the planet--a position that was previously occupied by sea sponges.

According to National Geographic, scientists discovered this by first completing the genome of a sea walnut, or ctenophores, a type of comb jelly found in the Atlantic Ocean. This results in the analysis of the comb jellies that evolved approximately 600 million years ago, according to scientists.

"Having genomic data from the ctenophores is crucial from a comparative genomics perspective, since it allows us to determine what physical and structural features were present in animals early on," Dr. Andy Baxevanis from NHGRI's Division on Intramural Research and the study's lead author, via a press release. "These data also provide us an invaluable window for determining the order of events that led to the incredible diversity that we see in the animal kingdom."

At the beginning of their study, the researchers were simply looking to fill a gap in the genome sequence. However, after plugging their data into a computer program that takes relationships between genome sequences, they found that the comb jelly DNA showed a different perspective with their history.

"The whole-genome sequence of the comb jelly provides a nontraditional model through which new insights about genes and their functions, including those in our own genome, may become better understood," said Dr. Daniel Kastner, and NHGRI scientific director, via Red Orbit.

"Our study demonstrates the power of comparative genomics research having an evolutionary point of view, probing the interface of genomics and developmental biology," co-author Jim Mullikin said, via the release. "The data generated in the course of this study also provide a strong foundation for future work that will undoubtedly lead to novel findings related to the nature of animal biology."

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Science.