College of Letters and Science

First Jellyfish Genome Reveals Ancient Beginnings of Complex Body Plan

Jellyfish undergo an amazing metamorphosis, from tiny polyps growing on the seafloor to swimming medusae with stinging tentacles. This shape-shifting has served them well, shepherding jellyfish through more than 500 million years of mass extinctions on Earth.

“Whatever they’re doing has really worked for them,” said David Gold, an assistant professor of paleobiology in the University of California, Davis, College of Letters and Science.

Tessa Hill, Ph.D.

  • College of Letters and Science
  • Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
  • Bodega Marine Laboratory
  • Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute
Bodega Marine Laboratory
University of California Davis, Bodega Marine Laboratory, PO Box 247, 2099 Westshore Rd, Bodega Bay CA 94923