The study, which appears in Nature, settles some long-standing debates about the relationships between major groups of animals and offers up a few surprises.

The big shocker: Comb jellyfish -- common and extremely fragile jellies with well-developed tissues -- appear to have diverged from other animals even before the lowly sponge, which has no tissue to speak of. This finding calls into question the very root of the animal tree of life, which traditionally placed sponges at the base.

What’s next in home design and decor? Greenness and gadgetry, that’s what. Local design experts say that technology and ecology are shaping the way homeowners build, renovate and otherwise outfit their homes, and they see energy savings and electronics as fuels for the fire.

They may not be gas-guzzlers, but electric cars have a raging thirst for water.

A comparison of the volume of coolant water used in the thermoelectric power plants that provide most of our electricity and that used in extracting and refining petroleum suggests that electric vehicles require significantly more water per mile than those powered by gasoline.

What’s next in home design and decor? Greenness and gadgetry, that’s what. Local design experts say that technology and ecology are shaping the way homeowners build, renovate and otherwise outfit their homes, and they see energy savings and electronics as fuels for the fire.