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University of Bristol

University of Bristol

Research University

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Genomic study reveals predictable patterns in how animals conquered land

New Capabilities

Lead institution for study

In 1989, paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould argued that if you could rewind evolution and play it again, the results would be utterly different—humanity was a cosmic accident. A study published in Nature on November 12, 2025 offers the most comprehensive counterargument yet: when 11 different animal lineages independently crawled out of the water across 487 million years, they repeatedly evolved the same genetic solutions.

Updated Feb 10