New research hints that comb jelly may be Earth's oldest animal

Scientists believe they may have identified the first animal to have roamed the Earth about 700 million years ago, a new study published in Nature revealed.

Researchers determined that the first animal was likely a comb jelly, or ctenophore — a predator that travels through the ocean in search of food, according to a news release about the study from the University of California Berkeley.

Though they resemble jellyfish, comb jellies are distinctly different creatures, and propel themselves through water using cilia instead of tentacles. They are still part of the marine ecosystem today and can be found in waters all over the world.