This Weird Sea Creature May Have Rewritten Life’s Genetic Rulebook

A Nature study suggests long-distance gene regulation in animals emerged about 650–700 million years ago, much earlier than previously thought.

Researchers compared 3D genome folding across 11 species using Micro-C and found DNA loops linked to distal gene control in early-branching animals.

The mechanism was present in comb jellies, placozoans, cnidarians, and sponges, but absent in single-celled relatives.

The result pushes the origin of a key gene-control system back to the dawn of animal life and may help explain early cell diversity and body-plan complexity.