These clusters of specialized, cooperating cells eventually became the first animals, which DNA evidence suggests evolved around 800 million years ago.

Which animal came first on earth?

Earth's first animal was the ocean-drifting comb jelly, not the simple sponge, according to a new find that has shocked scientists who didn't imagine the earliest critter could be so complex.

Where did the first animals come from?

The first animals – including the common ancestor of all animals today – evolved in the sea over half a billion years ago.