The anus may have evolved from a hole originally used to release sperm

image via New Scientist

March 28, 2025, 1:00 PM

• •The anus is a wildly successful innovation, but how did it evolve?
• •A genetic analysis suggests it probably began as an opening used to release sperm that later fused with the gut
• •It is thought that early animals evolved with a simple opening that served both as an anus and a reproductive organ

The anus is a wildly successful innovation, but how did it evolve? A genetic analysis suggests it probably began as an opening used to release sperm that later fused with the gut – an example of evolution repurposing structures.

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