Evolutionary transition from single-cell to multi-cell organisms: the role of surface waters and their hydrodynamics (opens in new tab)

The evolutionary transition from unicellular to multicellular organisms exhibited a sharp increase in metabolic rates, yet the physical conditions supporting this transition remain poorly understood. Here we propose that wide-spread hydrodynamic enhancement of nutrient delivery to the microorganisms in the Neoproterozoic Era constituted a necessary enabling condition for early multicellularity, complementing the effect of rising oxygen levels occurring at the same time. Along with conceptual ...