Sponges are nature’s first stonemasons 🪸

New work uncovers “calcarin” proteins that help calcareous sponges build star-shaped spicules, showing how gene duplication sparks evolutionary innovation.
https://elifesciences.org/digests/106239/evolving-calcification?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic

Evolving calcification

The discovery of calcarin proteins in calcareous sponges highlights gene duplication and neofunctionalization as drivers of parallel biomineralization.

eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd