The earliest animals to appear on Earth were sponges, which evolved from the sea over half a billion years ago.
According to current scientific understanding, sponges are considered among the very first animals to evolve, dating back approximately 700 million years. This conclusion is based on various characteristics that place sponges as early animals, including:
- Multicellularity: Sponges are multicellular organisms, a key trait of animals.
- Specialized Cell Types: They possess various specialized cell types, which perform different functions necessary for the organism’s survival.
It's worth noting that the study of early animal evolution is an ongoing area of research, and scientific understanding may change with new discoveries.
| Characteristic | Significance |
|---|---|
| Multicellularity | A fundamental characteristic that distinguishes animals from single-celled organisms. |
| Specialized Cell Types | A complex system of cells that work together to perform different functions. |
While earlier candidates have been proposed, the scientific consensus based on available evidence currently favors sponges as some of the earliest known animals to exist on Earth.
