Scientists map genetic blueprint of bizarre branched worm with multiple reproductive tails

Tucked inside tropical sea sponges, a branching marine worm called Ramisyllis kingghidorahi has long defied our assumptions about what an animal body can be. Now, an international team led by the University of Göttingen has charted the genetic activity governing how this creature orchestrates sexual reproduction across its tree-like form — finding that the body's geography matters more than biological sex, and that the worm's temporary, eye-growing reproductive units are the true architects of its remarkable complexity. The discovery invites us to reconsider how deeply life can diverge from th