Single cell's evolution into a multi-cellular organism?

Question

Has it been proven that a single-celled organism(eg amoeba) can evolve into a multi-cellular organism?

Answer 1

Nothing is EVER proven in science. If new information comes along that shows a problem with a scientific theory, then the theory either changes to include the new information or the theory is discarded. But nothing is ever proven in science, because that means that there is no room for the addition of new information. This goes even for important theories such as quantum theory, the theory of relativity, the theory of gravity, etc.

That being said, there is a TON of evidence for it. Because there's been about 1.2 billion years since the first multicellular organism, both divergent and covergent evolution have played a factor, meaning that individual families of organisms became multicellular in different ways and for different reasons.

Probably the most interesting, and most basic way that this occured is through symbiosis, where 2 species adapt so they can live together, and in doing so they make the 2 species together suvive better than each one alone. A perfect example of this is lychens, which are made of fungi and mosses (both single-celled), and by living together survive in bigger extremes of climate than separately.

Another is the mitochondria which is in each of your cells, but was at one time a separate organism. Mitochondria allowed the cells to become more specialized (and multicellular), becausethey no longer had to devote themselves entirely to breaking down nutrients for food.

A good example of a single-cell organism that has also become colonial (one step closer to multicellular, because the single cells work together more efficiently) are protists such as Volvocacea and others.

Answer 2

Since there are intermediate organisms such as social amoebas (Dictyostelium genus), which can live independently as well as in social colonies (slime molds) with individuals having specialized roles and functions, it is not hard to conjecture that genomes could easily evolve from single celled to multiple celled organisms.

Answer 3

If you were God you could make any cell material into any other cell material. However, in reality we have cells and life as it is meant to exist and nothing more.