The sea anemone (ah-nem-um-nee) is a weird thing. Its genome tells us so.
The sea anemone is an oddball: half-plant and half-animal, at least when it comes to its genetic code, new research suggests.
The sea creature’s genes look more like those of animals, but the regulatory code that determines whether those genes are expressed resembles that in plants, according to a study published Tuesday (March 18) in the journal Genome Research.
What’s more, the complicated network of gene interactions found in the simple sea anemone resembles that found in widely divergent, more complex animals.
I have frequently complained that the public does not know very much when it comes to the diversity of animals on this planet. Maybe you have never heard of the anemone. Well, I’ll be glad to share this with you today cause it’s really neat. An animal that looks primitive actually holds the secret of complex gene regulation that was already present in the common ancestor of human, fly and sea anemone some 600 million years ago. How awesomesauce is THAT!
The genetic coding showed that microRNAs, present in both plants and animals appear to not have evolved seperately but prior to the divergence of the kingdoms thus providing a link between plants and animals.
So, creationists may ask, if this animal was an animal-plant, why does it still exist? Because even though you came from a family in the old world, that family lineage didn’t die out when you moved to America. It continues carrying on. Evolution works on populations, not individuals.
Yay to anemones and all life on earth for evolving.