| Affiliation: | (1) NASA Astrobiology Institute and Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA;(2) Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA |
| Abstract: | Background The pattern and timing of the rise in complex multicellular life during Earth's history has not been established. Great disparity persists between the pattern suggested by the fossil record and that estimated by molecular clocks, especially for plants, animals, fungi, and the deepest branches of the eukaryote tree. Here, we used all available protein sequence data and molecular clock methods to place constraints on the increase in complexity through time. |
