Palaeontology: Clearing the Heads of Cambrian Arthropods

Strausfeld, Nicholas J.

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.05.026

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

“…Future research could also examine changes in the complexity of macroscopic sense organs or brains over the Phanerozoic, in addition to their presence or absence. For instance, the neural architectures seen in Cambrian panarthropods (Ma et al 2012; Tanaka et al 2013; Cong et al 2014; Strausfeld 2015) are quite conserved and similar in complexity to those in the present. Likewise, Ma et al (2012: p. 258) characterize compound eyes in the Cambrian as being “in size and resolution, equal to those of modern insects and malacostracans.” Such inference about Cambrian compound eyes is seen, for instance, from Paterson et al's (2011, 2020) finding that the stem-arthropod Anomalocaris compared well to most living arthropods in eye size, high ommatidial lens count per eye, and low interommatidial angles, all factors that correlate with visual acuity in the present.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…Evidence of sophisticated information collection and processing comes from multiple studies of exquisite preservation in Cambrian fossils of complex eyes, other sensory organs, nervous systems, and brains (e.g., Chen et al 1999; Shu et al 2003; Paterson et al 2011; Ma et al 2012; Schoenemann and Clarkson 2013, 2017; Tanaka et al 2013; Cong et al 2014; Strausfeld 2015). Panarthropods (arthropods and their relatives), possessing a diversity of eyes and antennae and with brains resembling those of their modern counterparts (Ma et al 2012; Tanaka et al 2013; Cong et al 2014; Strausfeld 2015), were particularly dominant among the active and visually oriented fauna during this period (Zhao et al 2013). Other phyla known to be neurologically and sensorially complex today were also well represented at this time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The Phanerozoic aftermath of the Cambrian information revolution: sensory and cognitive complexity in marine faunas

Hsieh¹,

Plotnick²,

Bush³

2022

Paleobiology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Cambrian information revolution describes how biotically driven increases in signals, sensory abilities, behavioral interactions, and landscape spatial complexity drove a rapid increase in animal cognition concurrent with the Cambrian radiation. Here, we compare cognitive complexity in Cambrian and post-Cambrian marine ecosystems, documenting changes in animal cognition after the initial Cambrian increase. In a comparison of Cambrian and post-Cambrian Lagerstätten, we find no strong trend in the proportion of genera possessing two types of macroscopic sense organs (eyes and chemoreceptive organs such as antennae, feelers, or nostrils). There is also no trend in general nervous system complexity. These results suggest that sophisticated information processing was already common in early Phanerozoic ecosystems, comparable with behavioral evidence from the trace fossil record. Most taxa capable of complex information processing in Cambrian ecosystems were panarthropods, whereas mollusks and chordates made up larger proportions afterward. In both the Cambrian and the present day, ecological occupation of diverse habitat tiers and feeding modes is possible with even simple nervous systems, but ecological lifestyles requiring rapid, regular movement are almost exclusively associated within brain-bearing taxa, suggesting a connection with fast information-processing abilities and bodily responses. The overall rise in cognitive sophistication in the Cambrian was likely a unique event in the history of life, although some lineages subsequently developed more elaborate sensory systems and/or larger brains.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Phanerozoic aftermath of the Cambrian information revolution: sensory and cognitive complexity in marine faunas

Hsieh¹,

Plotnick²,

Bush³

2022

Paleobiology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…"bridge" in [32]), or questionable characters are used to claim homology of structures with those in other animal groups (e.g. "frontal ganglion" in Cong et al [45,46], but see Mayer et al [47] for an opposing view).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The velvet worm brain unveils homologies and evolutionary novelties across panarthropods

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The evolution of the brain and its major neuropils in Panarthropoda (comprising Arthropoda, Tardigrada and Onychophora) remains enigmatic. As one of the closest relatives of arthropods, onychophorans are regarded as indispensable for a broad understanding of the evolution of panarthropod organ systems, including the brain, whose anatomical and functional organisation is often used to gain insights into evolutionary relations. However, while numerous recent studies have clarified the organisation of many arthropod nervous systems, a detailed investigation of the onychophoran brain with current state-of-the-art approaches is lacking, and further inconsistencies in nomenclature and interpretation hamper its understanding. To clarify the origins and homology of cerebral structures across panarthropods, we analysed the brain architecture in the onychophoran Euperipatoides rowelli by combining X-ray micro-computed tomography, histology, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and three-dimensional reconstruction. Results Here, we use this detailed information to generate a consistent glossary for neuroanatomical studies of Onychophora. In addition, we report novel cerebral structures, provide novel details on previously known brain areas, and characterise further structures and neuropils in order to improve the reproducibility of neuroanatomical observations. Our findings support homology of mushroom bodies and central bodies in onychophorans and arthropods. Their antennal nerve cords and olfactory lobes most likely evolved independently. In contrast to previous reports, we found no evidence for second-order visual neuropils, or a frontal ganglion in the velvet worm brain. Conclusion We imaged the velvet worm nervous system at an unprecedented level of detail and compiled a comprehensive glossary of known and previously uncharacterised neuroanatomical structures to provide an in-depth characterisation of the onychophoran brain architecture. We expect that our data will improve the reproducibility and comparability of future neuroanatomical studies.

show abstract

The nature of non-appendicular anterior paired projections in Palaeozoic total-group Euarthropoda

Ortega‐Hernández

Budd

2016

Arthropod Structure & Development

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Palaeontology: Clearing the Heads of Cambrian Arthropods

Abstract: Understanding the identity of segments and the evolution of their appendages is a prime concern of arthropod evolution studies. This has been challenging for long extinct stem-groups. Now, Cambrian fossils offer insights that will help further evolutionary considerations.

Cited by 3 publications

References 15 publications

The Phanerozoic aftermath of the Cambrian information revolution: sensory and cognitive complexity in marine faunas

The Phanerozoic aftermath of the Cambrian information revolution: sensory and cognitive complexity in marine faunas

The velvet worm brain unveils homologies and evolutionary novelties across panarthropods

The nature of non-appendicular anterior paired projections in Palaeozoic total-group Euarthropoda

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About