Once again I am subjecting my dear readers to some selections from a biology paper. While this has not yet been labeled as torture by the UN, it might as well be. However as I do not believe in human rights, your only recourse is to run screaming away from your user interface.
This week on things beyond me we will be looking at:
Evolutionary Development of Neural Systems in Vertebrates and Beyond
Lauren A. O ’ Connell
Neurogenetics, Early Online: 1–17
Abstract: The emerging field of “ neuro-evo-devo ” is beginning to reveal how the molecular and neural substrates that underlie brain function are based on variations in evolutionarily ancient and conserved neurochemical and neural circuit themes. Comparative work across bilaterians is reviewed to highlight how early neural patterning specifies modularity of the embryonic brain, which lays a foundation on which manipulation of neurogenesis creates adjustments in brain size. Small variation within these developmental mechanisms contributes to the evolution of brain diversity. Comparing the specification and spatial distribution of neural phenotypes across bilaterians has also suggested some major brain evolution trends, although much more work on profiling neural connections with neurochemical specific city across a wide diversity of organisms is needed. These comparative approaches investigating the evolution of brain form and function hold great promise for facilitating a mechanistic understanding of how variation in brain morphology, neural phenotypes, and neural networks influences brain function and behavioral diversity across organisms.
I can’t wait…
“Although developmental patterning of central nervous systems is remarkably similar across animal phyla, small variations on developmental themes have produced striking variation in brain morphology.”
One of the major themes of this paper is the how conservative the methods of generative neural diversity are.
Lawrence Glarus 