How does multicellularity evolve? Scientists who study a family of green algae that includes unicellular Chlamydomonas and multicellular Volvox are beginning to find answers to this question.

Why they're awesome: The largest animal on Earth is thought to be the blue whale, but these strange sea creatures can grow even longer — reaching up to 150 feet (46 meters) in length. There are ...

Infographic: The Evolution of Volvox View full size JPG | PDF Lucy Reading-Ikkanda (diagrams and cells); SOURCE: David L. Kirk The volvocine algae are a model system for studying the evolution of ...