choanoflagellates

I'd much rather see you honestly substantiate your claim that "animal genes" (a slightly misleading choice of words) with unknown (if any) function in choanoflagellates makes FLE "more plausible".

Bird Teeth 2008

An interesting question is what the functions of those genes are in choanoflagellates.

An Animal Toolkit in a Single-Celled Organism 2008

Mr. Hume, my science teacher, taught us about this primordial soup full of natural gases and muddy slop and carbon matter that somehow solidified into one-celled organisms called choanoflagellates…which sound a lot more like a sexually transmitted disease than the start of the evolutionary chain, in my opinion.

My Sister’s Keeper Jodi Picoult 2004

In "choanoflagellates" and "Angel's Bone," Mr. Moffa's beats and sound washes and Mr. Flowers's wide-ranging trumpet lines supported Ms. Du's idiosyncratic vocal performances.

NYT > Home Page 2010

Nicole King, Asst.Prof. Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley: Genes shared by choanoflagellates and animals were likely present in their common ancestor and may shed light on the transition to multicellularity.

Biomolecular Networks 2009

As far as I know, it has not been shown that these genes are not essential for choanoflagellates.

Bird Teeth 2008

No, but what he is suggesting is that they might be essential for choanoflagellates.

Bird Teeth 2008

As far as I know, it has not been shown that these genes are not essential for choanoflagellates.

Bird Teeth 2008

Given that as ubiquitous a plant as arabidopsis displays such renown adaptability that every 10th gene serves no function, I'd sure be interested in whether choanoflagellates need those higher-organism genes.

Bird Teeth 2008

Evolution suggests these features would be important to choanoflagellates or else they wouldn't have formed.

Bird Teeth 2008