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How did life get multicellular? Five simple organisms could have the answer

Single-celled species that often stick together in colonies have researchers rethinking the origin of animals.
By
  1. Alla Katsnelson

    1. Alla Katsnelson is a science writer based in Southampton, Massachusetts.

A cluster of differently coloured cells with the appearance of jellyfish on a dark background

Choanoeca flexa cells form a sheet with all flagella and microvilli pointed in one direction. Credit: Diede de Haan

For some three billion years, unicellular organisms ruled Earth. Then, around one billion years ago, a new chapter of life began. Early attempts at team living began to stick, paving the way for the evolution of complex organisms, including animals, plants and fungi.

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Nature 644, 856-859 (2025)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-02635-2

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