Choanoflagellates offer clues to animal evolution

Microscopic organisms called choanoflagellates are providing new clues about animal evolution. These single-celled relatives of animals can form colonies and possess genes similar to those controlling organ size in animals, offering insights into early multicellularity. A new study used a novel technique to mutate a gene in choanoflagellates, resulting in uncontrolled colony growth, mirroring effects seen in animal development and cancer.