Animals

The world&#039;s smallest animal is smaller than a human red blood cell

Chemical markers in ancient rocks suggest sponges existed 650 million years ago

Comb jellies may have evolved a nervous system entirely independent of other animals

Microscopic placozoans carry the genetic blueprint for complex bodies they no longer possess

Fat molecules preserved in fossils identify the mysterious Dickinsonia as an early animal

Predation began 20 million years earlier than the Cambrian explosion

The first apex predator had eyes with 16,000 lenses for high-acuity vision

A single set of master genes dictates the body plan of every animal

Bilateral symmetry allowed animals to evolve heads and directed movement

The first opening in a developing insect embryo always becomes the mouth

Humans and sea urchins share an embryonic development that prioritizes the anus

Eight out of every ten animal species on Earth are arthropods

Four out of every five animals on the planet are nematodes

The blue whale is heavier than any dinosaur that ever lived

The largest land animals used bird-like air sacs to lighten their skeletons