Bioluminescence in marine life dates back 540 million years, winding back the clock by a staggering 300 million years against earlier estimates, a new study finds.
Bioluminescence — or glowing in the dark — is abundant in marine life including in fish, corals, jellyfish and crustaceans. On land, the phenomenon is found in many animals, including fireflies, beetles, mushrooms, algae and some bacteria. Uncovering similarities in genetic sequences across groups can provide clues about the evolutionary history of a trait or characteristic. Bioluminescence involves a highly heritable protein called luciferase and, so far, the phenomenon is thought to have evolved around 100 times.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over."We wanted to figure out the timing of the origin of bioluminescence, and octocorals are one of the oldest groups of animals on the planet known to bioluminesce," lead author Danielle DeLeo, a research associate at the Florida International University, said in a statement.