Marine biologists discover new animal order among sea anemones

[orogenicman]

DNA analyses are making amazing discoveries these days:

Marine biologists discover new animal order among sea anemones

New order of marine creatures discovered among sea anemones - UPI.com

While piecing together the evolutionary tree of some 112 anemones species, the scientists discovered that one species didn't fit. The DNA make up of Relicanthus daphneae, previously thought to be one of the ocean's largest sea anemone, was a stark departure from the other anemone species.

Without a proper classification home, researchers placed Relicanthus daphneae in an order all by itself. The new classification order, Cnidaria, is the equivalent of Carnivora in mammals or Crocodilia in reptiles.

"Even though this animal looks very much like a sea anemone, it is not one," Rodríguez said. "Both groups of animals lack the same characters, but our research shows that while the anemones lost those characters over millions of years of evolution, R. daphneae never had them."

"Putting these animals in the same group would be like classifying worms and snakes together because neither have legs," Rodríguez added.

Looks like a perfect example of convergent evolution.

 

[Hollie]

That’s really cool. I remember reading about the discovery of tube worms around deep ocean hydrothermal vents. The discovery on non-photosynthetic life at tremendous depths and pressures amid the heat and sulfides was really exciting for science.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Is there a missing link anemone?

 

[Mr. H.]

Is it a friend or anemone?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

How come anemones never learned to walk on land? How cool would that be?!

 

[orogenicman]

Is there a missing link anemone?

All species are transitional.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Is there a missing link anemone?

All species are transitional.

Uh huh. If you say so

 

[orogenicman]

Is there a missing link anemone?

All species are transitional.

Uh huh. If you say so

I do.

 

[Defiant1]

Exciting stuff.

What if it was made possible by global warming??????????

 

[orogenicman]

Exciting stuff.

What if it was made possible by global warming??????????