Sea Anemones Reveal Ancient Blueprint Behind Bilaterian Bodies
A University of Vienna study shows sea anemones, despite lacking brains, use bilaterian-style bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) shuttling with Chordin to shape their bodies. This suggests the mechanism predates the cnidarian–bilaterian split about 600–700 million years ago, potentially rewriting how and when the human body plan evolved, although convergent evolution remains a possibility.
