Segmentation is the secret behind the extraordinary diversification of animals
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 - 01:35
in Paleontology & Archaeology
Segmentation, the repetition of identical anatomical units, seems to be the secret behind the diversity and longevity of the largest and most common animal groups on Earth. Researchers have shown that this characteristic was inherited from a common segmented ancestor thought to have lived 600 million years ago and whose presence "changed the face of the world."