Single-celled organism becomes multicellular via three different pathways

Phys.org

February 26, 2026

Some single-celled organisms are known to transition to multicellularity during their lifetimes, usually either by cloning themselves or when many similar cells come together to form a larger multicellular organism. A new study published in Nature suggests that a combination of the two routes may be more common than previously thought—even in organisms distantly related to animals.