MIT researchers have identified chemical signatures in rocks over 541 million years old that suggest ancient sea sponges were among Earth's earliest animals, with the discovery of rare sterol molecules matching those produced by modern demosponges. The findings, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, strengthen evidence that sponge ancestors emerged well before most other major animal groups appeared during the Cambrian Period.
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MIT researchers have identified chemical signatures in rocks over 541 million years old that suggest ancient sea sponges were among Earth's earliest animals, with the discovery of rare sterol molecules matching those produced by modern demosponges. The findings, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, strengthen evidence that sponge ancestors emerged well before most other major animal groups appeared during the Cambrian Period.