Jacob Steenwyk

Jacob Steenwyk is a prominent researcher in evolutionary biology, affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley. He gained attention for his work on the phylogenetic relationships among early multicellular organisms, particularly sponges, which are believed to be crucial in understanding the evolution of animals. Recently, he was in the news due to the retraction of a paper co-authored with Nicole King in the prestigious journal Science, where they reported findings on the evolutionary significance of sponges. The retraction was prompted by the authors themselves, citing errors in their analysis that compromised the reliability of their results.