Paco Cardenas
@paccardenas.bsky.social
Curator of zoology at Museum of Evolution (Uppsala University), in charge of the Linnaeus collection, marine biologist (sponges), naturalist and wannabe natural product researcher.
This discovery highlights the sponge biomarker hypothesis, suggesting that sponges, and therefore animals, emerged 100 million years earlier than previously thought.
Once again, we are reminded how little we know about sponges, and how crucial it is to keep exploring our oceans.🦑🦞🪼🪸🤿🌊
Once again, we are reminded how little we know about sponges, and how crucial it is to keep exploring our oceans.🦑🦞🪼🪸🤿🌊
November 29, 2025 at 3:50 PM
This discovery highlights the sponge biomarker hypothesis, suggesting that sponges, and therefore animals, emerged 100 million years earlier than previously thought.
Once again, we are reminded how little we know about sponges, and how crucial it is to keep exploring our oceans.🦑🦞🪼🪸🤿🌊
Once again, we are reminded how little we know about sponges, and how crucial it is to keep exploring our oceans.🦑🦞🪼🪸🤿🌊
Even more interesting: we found that vilesids all produced large amounts of 24-isopropylcholesterols🧪, a unique sterol, precursor of the fossilized steroids found in Cryogenian and Ediacaran rocks, up to 635 million years old! They are the only recent sponges to do so.
November 29, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Even more interesting: we found that vilesids all produced large amounts of 24-isopropylcholesterols🧪, a unique sterol, precursor of the fossilized steroids found in Cryogenian and Ediacaran rocks, up to 635 million years old! They are the only recent sponges to do so.
Vilesids are today found worldwide, from shallow to deep waters. Some vilesids are actually common and well known species, like this Viles ophiraphidites in the Bahamas (photo Tse-Lynn Loh) or Cymbastella coralliophila from the Pacific, but they were classified elsewhere, in other orders.
November 29, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Vilesids are today found worldwide, from shallow to deep waters. Some vilesids are actually common and well known species, like this Viles ophiraphidites in the Bahamas (photo Tse-Lynn Loh) or Cymbastella coralliophila from the Pacific, but they were classified elsewhere, in other orders.
Ok I understand. Thanks for the reply!
November 15, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Ok I understand. Thanks for the reply!
Hi, nice work! I couldn't find a consensus tree in your supplementary material. Did I miss it? I'd be super interested to see evolutionary relationships within the sponges, and how consistent they were across your analyses.
November 15, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Hi, nice work! I couldn't find a consensus tree in your supplementary material. Did I miss it? I'd be super interested to see evolutionary relationships within the sponges, and how consistent they were across your analyses.