New study suggests that the ability to glow was present in marine organisms during the Cambrian explosion, challenging previous conceptions about the evolution of bioluminescence.
Recent research has revealed that bioluminescence, the biological mechanism for light production in living organisms, could have evolved as far back as 540 million years ago, according to a study focusing on ancient marine invertebrates known as octocorals. This discovery significantly predates previous records by nearly 300 million years and suggests that the capability of glowing might have originated during the Cambrian explosion, a major evolutionary event.
The study, which has been published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, involved analysing genetic data from 185 species of luminous corals to construct an evolutionary history. It indicates that the common ancestor of all soft corals existing around 540 million years ago likely possessed bioluminescent abilities.
Led by Danielle DeLeo and featuring researchers like Dr. Andrea Quattrini from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, the research team utilized fossil ages and evolutionary data to draw these conclusions. Their findings not only question the initial purpose of bioluminescence in organisms, which remains uncertain, but also highlight its role in evolutionary history, including behaviors like camouflage, communication, and predation.
In essence, this study challenges previous understandings of bioluminescence’s origins and underscores the trait’s potential relevance in the early diversification of marine life, suggesting that light production was a significant evolutionary advantage for ancient corals in the ocean’s sunless depths.
