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

8:59
While some fishapods were crawling out of water, others were diving right back in.

10:17
We think our water came from unlikely sources: meteorites, space dust, and even the sun.

8:13
This fungus was actually manipulating ants’ and forcing strange movements.

9:49
We explore the origin of the Mystacodon, what we know today as baleen whales.

7:40
There is one group of mammals that doesn’t have alpha-gal catarrhine primates.

8:29
It started with the production of one specific molecule and its ability to evolve.

12:34
The epic saga of Los Angeles' natural history is still visible and even striking.

7:02
Let's explore how and why this millipede became this big!

9:19
In 2003, microbiologists made this huge discovery.

9:42
Paleodictyon, a hexagonal-patterned fossil, is a bit of a mystery. What could it be?

6:40
We may have found the blueprints for building them ourselves.

6:37
Diictodon used burrows to breed and a male parent may have stayed behind to feed it.