Multicellular life may have begun with brief alliances between cells

Single-celled organisms called Stentor can feed more efficiently by pairing up, illustrating a possible stage in the evolution of complex life forms

By Claire Ainsworth

A giant, trumpet-shaped cell that skulks in the bottom of ponds has given scientists a new clue about how single-celled creatures may have taken the first steps towards evolving into multicellular ones, a key transition in the evolution of life.

For this to happen, there had to be a benefit for single cells to club together, such as improved reproduction or feeding. Studies investigating these ideas have focused mainly on creatures that form groups or colonies in which some cells develop specialised functions, and where …