Organisms can exist as single cells and aggregate into multicellular forms
Organisms can exist as single cells and aggregate into multicellular forms, as supported by numerous evolutionary models and biological examples of reversible transitions between unicellular and multicellular states.
The claim states that organisms can exist as single cells and aggregate into multicellular forms. This is a well-established biological principle supported by multiple papers demonstrating life cycles involving transitions between unicellularity and multicellularity (e.g., in yeast and choanoflagellates) as well as theoretical models of aggregation. No papers refute the claim.
I. Ispolatov, M. Ackermann, M. Doebeli. Division of labour and the evolution of multicellularity. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1999
Paper 0 develops models showing how multicellular aggregates emerge from unicellular ancestors due to physiological advantages.
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Jennie Kuzdzal-Fick, Lin Chen, G. Balázsi. Disadvantages and benefits of evolved unicellularity versus multicellularity in budding yeast. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5322
Paper 3 demonstrates that yeast species can transition reversibly between unicellular states and multicellular clump-forming states.
Ros-Rocher N, Reyes-Rivera J, Horo U, Combredet C, Foroughijabbari Y, Larson BT, Coyle MC, Houtepen EAT, Vermeij MJA, Steenwyk JL, Brunet T. Clonal-aggregative multicellularity tuned by salinity in a choanoflagellate.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10137-y
Paper 5 shows that certain choanoflagellates undergo reversible transitions between unicellularity and multicellularity.
Hanna Isaksson, Peter Lind, Eric Libby. Adaptive evolutionary trajectories in complexity: Transitions between unicellularity and facultative differentiated multicellularity. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2411692122
Paper 7 discusses adaptive trajectories where organisms transition between strict unicellularity and facultative multicellularity.
Jennie Kuzdzal-Fick, Lin Chen, G. Balázsi. Evolutionary trade-offs between unicellularity and multicellularity in budding yeast. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1101/347609
Paper 8 highlights the evolutionary trade-offs and switching mechanisms between unicellular and multicellular forms in budding yeast.
Gaku Kurita, Kyoka A Adachi, Kazuma Uesaka, Gohta Goshima. Genetic switch between unicellularity and multicellularity in marine yeasts. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09881-4
Paper 10 identifies genetic switch mechanisms that enable marine yeasts to alternate between unicellular and multicellular states.
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