Funisia, a sedentary animal resembling an upright worm,[1] stood about 0.3 m (1 ft 0 in) tall.[2][3][4] Because individuals grew in dense collections of animals the same age, it is believed to have reproduced sexually, as well as reproduced by budding like modern sponges and corals.[3] Although the evolution of sex took place before the origin of animals, and evidence of sexual reproduction is observed in red algae1,200 million years ago,[5]Funisia is one of the oldest known animals for which there is evidence of sexual reproduction.[4]
Its relationship to other animals is unknown, but it may belong within the Porifera (sponges), Cnidaria,[1] a basal metazoan similar to sponges [6] or an early varisarcan vendobiont.[7]
The genus and species were described in a 2008 paper.[1]
Etymology
The generic name Funisia is after the Latin "rope", and is pronounced to rhyme with Tunisia.[8]
The name dorothea is in honour of Dorothy Droser, the mother of Mary L. Droser, one of the scientists who studied the organism.[2]
^ abcMary L. Droser; James G. Gehling (21 March 2008). "Synchronous Aggregate Growth in an Abundant New Ediacaran Tubular Organism". Science. 319 (5870): 1660–1662. doi:10.1126/science.1152595. PMID18356525. S2CID23002564.
^D. H. Erwin, M. Laflamme, S., M. Tweedt, E. A. Sperling, D. Pisani, and K. J. Peterson. 2011. The Cambrian Conundrum: Early Divergence and Later Ecological Success in the Early History of Animals. Science 334(6059):1091-1097
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