A brain that is more than 500 million years old suggests that the organs serving as the center of nervous systems in all vertebrates and many invertebrates emerged before actual, defined heads, according to new research published in the latest edition of the journal Current Biology.
In the study, Dr. Javier Ortega-Hernández of the University of Cambridge and his colleagues reported that the ancient organ belonged to a type of crustacean known as the Odaraia alata. This particular crustacean had a pair of large eyes on stalks, and the study authors found that the eyes were connected to a thin, flat and hard body part known as the anterior sclerite.
According to Discovery News, the connection between the eyes and the anterior sclerite was due to nerve endings originating from the front part of the creature’s brain (one of the oldest such organs ever discovered). Over time, most modern arthropods lost the anterior sclerite, which the scientists believe fused with other parts of the head during the group’s evolution.
More http://bit.ly/1zRlMuK
'via Blog this'
No comments:
Post a Comment