Researchers have identified a significant error in a widely accepted theory regarding the evolution of multicellular life. For decades, the “snowflake yeast” experiment, conducted by William Ratcliff and Michael Travisano, has been cited as a compelling example of how single-celled organisms can evolve into multicellular clumps through natural selection acting on group-level traits.
The original experiment involved forcing single-celled yeast to settle and reproduce, favoring strains that formed larger, more cohesive clumps that settled faster. Over time, these clumps exhibited characteristics resembling multicellularity.
However, a new investigation led by Otto X. Cordero has revealed that the Ratcliff-Travisano experiment, while producing clumps, did not actually select for true multicellularity based on genetic relatedness within the groups. Instead, the new research found that the evolved clumps were primarily composed of genetically diverse individuals, not tightly related clones as previously assumed. This genetic diversity means that cooperation within the clumps, often seen as a hallmark of multicellularity, was likely less pronounced.
The error stems from the original study’s reliance on visual assessments of clump uniformity, which were insufficient to determine the actual genetic composition. Cordero’s team used modern genetic sequencing techniques to demonstrate the high degree of genetic heterogeneity within the evolved clumps. This finding challenges the interpretation of the snowflake yeast experiment as a clear example of the evolutionary transition to multicellularity driven by group-level selection.
find the original article here: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/researchers-discover-stunning-error-theory-021500211.html
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