The birth of the animal kingdom: My new piece for the New York Times

Tomorrow's Science Times section of the New York Times has a special package of articles all about animals--the relationship between humans and the animals we raise, what makes us separate from animals, and so on. I took the opportunity to take a big step back and look at how animals came to be in the first place. The answer--or at least part of it--lies among some weird creatures, such as this tentacled creature that dwells inside snails. Check it out.