Skip to main content
Back to Show
Eons

How the Smallest Animal Got So Simple

Season 4 Episode 26

We tend to think that evolution only goes in one direction— toward getting bigger and more advanced. But that’s not always the case. This tiny, simple animal, the Myxozoans, (yes, animal!) evolved from something bigger and more complex.

Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By
Season
How a Mass Extinction Changed Our Brains
10:42
Our brains actually shrank relative to our bodies in evolution.
The Mystery Of The Mashed-Up Dinosaurs
7:23
Hidden in rocks may have animal kingdom’s oldest known predator.
These Fossils Were Supposed To Be Impossible
9:26
Hidden in rocks may have animal kingdom’s oldest known predator.
Could Neanderthals Use Symbolism?
8:09
We explore what we have in common with our ancient cousins.
When Our Culture Changed Our DNA
9:19
We have become the ultimate niche builders.
These Creatures Were Darwin's Greatest Enemy
9:58
Beneath their shell, the crustaceans hold an evolutionary mystery.
How Did Our Most Famous Ancestor Really Die?
7:20
The answer is part of a decades-long debate.
When A Marsupial Became An Apex Predator
10:04
In Australia, evolution built a family of deadly predators.
We Met Neandertals Way Earlier Than We Thought
7:28
We focus on the DNA we got from our Neanderthals.
How Plate Tectonics Gave Us Seahorses
7:20
Seahorses are one of the ocean's worst swimmers but their origin story is great.
Are We All Actually Archaea?
8:21
In recent years, Archaea's connection to us has been pretty huge and surprising.
Darwin Missed An Example of Evolution Right Under His Nose
8:53
Charles Darwin encountered a tiny fox-like creature during his famous voyage.
Active loading indicator