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Health & Science3h 48m ago
A new study suggests that clone-based reproduction kept early animals stable until sexual reproduction boosted diversity, explaining a long pause in animal evolution.
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Mistaken Point in Newfoundland, Charnwood Forest in the United Kingdom
Who
Researchers from the University of Cambridge, Dr Emily Mitchell, Professor Andrea Manica
What
A new study suggests that clone-based reproduction kept early animals stable until sexual reproduction boosted diversity, explaining a long pause in animal evolution.
When
Sun, 14 Jun 2026 16:07:00 GMT · 3h 48m ago
Where
Mistaken Point in Newfoundland, Charnwood Forest in the United Kingdom ·
Why
Asexual reproduction in stable deep-water environments limited dispersal, softened competition, and slowed evolutionary pressures.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This research provides a new explanation for why complex life appeared but evolved slowly before a surge in diversification, linking reproductive mode to dispersal, competition, and selection pressure.
Story chain
7 events in this thread- Health & Science3h 48m agoA new study suggests that early animals' asexual, clone-based reproduction limited dispersal, competition, and evolutionary pressures, delaying diversification during the Ediacaran Period.Open article
- Health & Science3h 48m agoA new study in Nature Ecology & Evolution suggests that asexual, clone-based reproduction in early animals kept competition low and delayed evolution for millions of years.Open article
- Health & Science3h 48m agoA new study on 574 million-year-old fossils suggests clone-based reproduction kept early animals stable until sexual reproduction boosted diversity, explaining a long pause in evolution.Open article
- Health & Science3h 48m agoA new analysis argues that the slow pace of early animal evolution was due to asexual reproduction, which limited dispersal, softened competition, and slowed evolutionary pressures.Open article
- Currently Reading3h 48m agoA new study suggests that clone-based reproduction kept early animals stable until sexual reproduction boosted diversity, explaining a long pause in animal evolution.
- Health & Science3h 48m agoA new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution suggests that the asexual reproduction of Earth's earliest animals delayed their evolution for millions of years.Open article
- Health & Science3h 48m agoA new analysis suggests that asexual reproduction in early animals, like those from 574 million years ago found at Mistaken Point, kept competition low and delayed evolution for millions of years.Open article