Bioluminescence, the eerie, beautiful phenomena that allows living things to glow, is way more ancient than previously thought, according to a team of researchers that recently studied the ability in octocorals.
Bioluminescence first evolved in animals at least 540 million years ago, pushing back previous oldest dated example phys.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from phys.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Many animals can glow in the dark. In a new study, scientists report that deep-sea corals that lived 540 million years ago may have been the first animals to glow, far earlier than previously thought. “Light signaling is one of the earliest forms of communication that we know of it’s very important in deep waters,” said Andrea Quattrini, a co-author of the study published Tuesday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.