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The transition took place over the course of 50 weeks and was caused simply by the introduction of a predator to the environment. Time-lapse videos are available in the supplementary info.
The transition from unicellular to multicellular life was one of a few major events in the history of life that created new opportunities for more complex biological systems to evolve. Predation is hypothesized as one selective pressure that may have driven the evolution of multicellularity. Here we show that de novo origins of simple multicellularity can evolve in response to predation. We subjected outcrossed populations of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to selection by the filter-feeding predator Paramecium tetraurelia. Two of five experimental populations evolved multicellular structures not observed in unselected control populations within ~750 asexual generations.
De novo origins of multicellularity in response to predation
(Score: 5, Interesting) by bradley13 on Saturday February 23 2019, @08:48AM (2 children)
Yeast has evolved and de-evolved multi-cellular structures. Hence, it is possible to trigger these latent capabilities. [scifare.com] Likely that is true of this algae as well, which is how they evolved something so complex in so little time.
Which doesn't alter the fact that this is a really cool demonstration of evolution in action. Especially the algae variant that began reproducing in multicellular clumps.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 4, Informative) by driverless on Saturday February 23 2019, @10:10AM
So they were watching congresspeople?
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday February 25 2019, @10:17AM
Which is the bigger change - monocellular -> clumping, or clumping identical cells -> differentiated multicellular life?
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves