By Beth Mole
Scientists continue to decode the genetic blueprints of the planet’s myriad flora and fauna — both alive and long dead — shedding light on biology, evolution and disease. Highlights from the year include:
1. Comb jellies
A genomic analysis of comb jellies confirmed that the squishy marine predators are the new oldest animals, bumping the much simpler sea sponges from the base of the animal evolutionary tree (SN Online: 12/12/13; SN: 5/18/13, p. 20).