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ERC grantee uncovers genetic clue to animals' evolutionary success

A team of researchers at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona deciphered the genetic mechanisms responsible for the evolutionary success of animals, including humans. The findings give insight on how life evolved from its simple one-cell form to complex multi-cellular organisms. The results, published on 21/4/2016 in Cell journal, may also provide hints how the life will evolve in future.

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Innovation Funding Researchers European Research Council Spain

date:  11/05/2016

Project:  Unravelling the unicellular prehistory o...

acronym:  PREMETAZOANEVOLUTION

See also:  CORDIS

We know that animals evolved from their single-cell ancestors. What we don't know is how that happened? What mechanism led to the development of animals' complex bodies? This is one of the unsolved mysteries of the evolution.

ERC grantee Professor Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo, from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC) in Barcelona, and a team of researchers have now deciphered the genetic mechanism responsible for the evolutionary success of animals.

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