Apr 16
Uncharismatic Fact of the Day
Moving toward or away from stimulus, reproducing sexually and asexually, and releasing chemical deterrents against predators isn't all that impressive-- unless you're Trichoplax adhaerens! One of the simplest animals alive today, T. adhaerens lacks a nervous system, muscles, and organs, and is made of only a few thousand cells, but is capable of some pretty complex behaviors! As a result, they have been widely studied both for their biomechanical processes and as a potential model for what the very first animals on Earth may have looked like.
(Image: Trichoplax adhaerens by Bernd Schierwater)