According to NY Times up until recently Choanoflagellates (one celled organisms) were considered not very important to track by the E.P.A (Environmental Protection Agency). They are tiny single cell predators that live in oceans and lakes. They can propel themselves in water and collect bacteria and food in their 30 to 40 tentacle like filaments. They are pretty much the bottom of the food chain in water. There are thousands to millions of them in our waters.
But what makes them important is that a new study suggests that they are the closest living single-celled relative to animals. Upon comparing them and their DNA, they discovered they had genetic similarities shared exclusively by the two, and shared 78 proteins.
What scientists are eager to learn is how single celled organisms can evolve into multi cellular organisms. Single-cell organisms of animals today have long been extinct. So the discovery of how closely related Choanoflagellates are to animal cells, is a huge step into learning on how things came to be.
Of course this is very interesting. And you would think today that every single thing alive would be studied before just considering it useless. But its amazing that scientists today are discovering all the time things that they thought weren't of value, are extremely important. And of course thats due to how much there is to study in the science world. But its a really great find.
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