A Strange Genetic Link Between Humans And Sea Anemones Was Just Confirmed

 

It has just been confirmed that the same gene that allows humans to hear is found in sea anemone and allows them to sense touch. An article on Sciencealert highlights the key information from the study. Essentially, it confirms that the evolution of our senses goes back hundreds of millions of years. This is because sea anemones are the closest relative to animals with bilateral symmetry. It was confirmed that this gene is responsible for sea anemones' sense of touch by knocking out the gene thought to be responsible, pou-iv. By knocking this gene out, the researchers found that the sea anemones' tentacles grew improperly and they did not respond to touch. This is an important discovery, and further research to find if the gene is found in ancestors even farther still needs to be done.