Scientists Have Found the First Branch on the Tree of Life

In chapter two, we trace the beginnings of the Animal Kingdom in a Tree of Life. Almost all animals on earth derive from a single branch of that tree--except a few, including comb jelly and sponges. Now researchers have concluded that comb jelly was split off from the main branch of the Animal Kingdom first--700-800 million years ago. Here's the story: https://www.science.org/content/article/comb-jelly-ancestor-may-have-been-first-animal-branch-tree-life , and here's the research: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05936-6.