Bioluminescence in Animals Dates Back 540 Million Years, Study Reveals
New research indicates that bioluminescence first appeared in octocorals during the Cambrian period, significantly earlier than previously believed.
- Bioluminescence, the ability of organisms to emit light, first evolved in octocorals around 540 million years ago.
- This discovery pushes back the earliest known occurrence of bioluminescence by nearly 300 million years.
- The study utilized genetic data and fossil evidence to trace the evolutionary history of bioluminescent octocorals.
- Researchers suggest that bioluminescence may have contributed to the evolutionary success of octocorals.
- The findings could help scientists understand why bioluminescence evolved and its role in marine ecosystems.
ScienceDaily 
IFLScience 
Fox News 
ScienceAlert 
Cosmos 
Newsweek 
Evening Standard 
Nature 
Associated Press 
Live Science 
Scientific American 
Smithsonian Magazine 
Discover Magazine 
Gizmodo 
Science News 
Popular Science 