Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Human Brain Has Origin in Lowly Worm (.. and bugs, researchers say
LiveScience.com on yahoo ^ | 4/21/07 | Robert Roy Britt

Posted on 04/21/2007 9:40:59 AM PDT by NormsRevenge

The origin of the human brain has been traced back to primitive central nervous systems in worms and bugs, researchers now say.

Humans and other vertebrates evolved from an ancient common ancestor that also gave rise to insects and worms, scientists have long known. But they're of course quite different today.

Vertebrates have a spinal cord running along their backs, but insects and annelid worms such as earthworms, which have simple organs that barely resemble a brain, have clusters of nerves organized in a chain along their bellies. So biologists have long assumed these systems—key to ultimately putting a brain to use—arose independently, only after the split.

In the new study, researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory [EMBL] in Heidelberg examined they embryos of a marine annelid worm called Platynereis dumerilii, which has a nervous system unchanged for eons. They documented the molecular fingerprints of the developing nerve cells.

"Our findings were overwhelming," says study team member Alexandru Denes. "The molecular anatomy of the developing CNS [central nervous system ] turned out to be virtually the same in vertebrates and Platynereis. Corresponding regions give rise to neuron types with similar molecular fingerprints and these neurons also go on to form the same neural structures in annelid worm and vertebrates."

"Such a complex arrangement could not have been invented twice throughout evolution , it must be the same system," said Gáspár Jékely, another team member. "It looks like Platynereis and vertebrates have inherited the organization of their CNS from their remote common ancestors."

The results, published this month in the journal Cell, leave a nagging question: How did the central nervous systems get flipped from belly to backside or vice-versa?

"How the inversion occurred and how other invertebrates have modified the ancestral CNS throughout evolution are the next exciting questions for evolutionary biologists," said study leader Detlev Arendt.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: humanbrain; lowly; origin; worm
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

1 posted on 04/21/2007 9:41:00 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Hence the derivative of phrases like..

You’re not gonna worm your way out of this one, Mister.

or

He is such a wormy little creep sometimes.

or


2 posted on 04/21/2007 9:42:36 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... It's time to come down from the hills ... In FReeP We Trust ... Donate or Bust!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

He wormed his way into the cockles of their hearts.


3 posted on 04/21/2007 9:43:37 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... It's time to come down from the hills ... In FReeP We Trust ... Donate or Bust!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

It follows that the brains of SF Chronicle employees come from the leavings of said worms.


4 posted on 04/21/2007 9:46:52 AM PDT by Ieatfrijoles (Incinerate Riyadh Now.(Request shot splash))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
molecular anatomy

These scientists are about 50 years late for the Nobel prize.

5 posted on 04/21/2007 9:52:31 AM PDT by RightWhale (3 May '07 3:14 PM)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge; DaveLoneRanger

Once upon a time...


6 posted on 04/21/2007 9:53:38 AM PDT by TenthAmendmentChampion (Pray for our President and for our heroes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and around the world!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

This make anyone else think of the Goa’uld?


7 posted on 04/21/2007 9:59:01 AM PDT by ClaudiusI
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TenthAmendmentChampion

...in a land far, far away...


8 posted on 04/21/2007 9:59:32 AM PDT by Fester Chugabrew
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
The origin of Democracts brains has been traced back to primitive central nervous systems in worms and bugs, researchers now say.
9 posted on 04/21/2007 10:04:08 AM PDT by BigFinn (isaiah 32:8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Are they trying to tell us we’re no longer related to monkeys but to worms? Gee, I bet the monkeys feel insulted by this. /s


10 posted on 04/21/2007 10:06:02 AM PDT by teacherwoes (A fugitive from a Democrat Congress)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
"Such a complex arrangement could not have been invented twice throughout evolution "

So let's concoct some idiotic theory to shoehorn it so it fits...

11 posted on 04/21/2007 10:09:47 AM PDT by AmericaUnited
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Lowly Worm? Richard Scarry created the heavens and the earth? Cool.
12 posted on 04/21/2007 10:11:33 AM PDT by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Hahahahahahahahaha. Evolutionists can be so silly.


13 posted on 04/21/2007 10:19:16 AM PDT by savedbygrace (SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST (I'M YELLING ON PURPOSE))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

And the worms ate into his brain...


14 posted on 04/21/2007 10:24:18 AM PDT by TigersEye (For Democrats; victory in Iraq is not an option.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
"Such a complex arrangement could not have been invented twice throughout evolution , it must be the same system," said Gáspár Jékely, another team member.

I love the language of evolutionists. Apparently evolution "invented" this complex arrangement. Yet they have a hissy fit when someone substitutes the word "God" for "evolution".

15 posted on 04/21/2007 10:27:26 AM PDT by DouglasKC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: teacherwoes

"Sure. It's the monkey's feelings you care about.
How typical of you homo sapiens."

16 posted on 04/21/2007 10:34:38 AM PDT by TigersEye (For Democrats; victory in Iraq is not an option.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

“Such a complex arrangement could not have been invented twice throughout evolution , it must be the same system,” said Gáspár Jékely, another team member. “It looks like Platynereis and vertebrates have inherited the organization of their CNS from their remote common ancestors.”

This is just really, really faulty logic. No Nobel Prize for these jokers!
Sometimes there is only one good way to do something and evolution follows that same path in separate branches. For example, the eyes of flys and humans are different optically and yet similar in terms of light transduction. The similarities are not inherited, that is simply the best way to convert light to usable information.


17 posted on 04/21/2007 10:35:58 AM PDT by Kirkwood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Yes, I seem to recall reading Lowly Worm...

But I'm not buying that my brain had its origin in that book. I mean it may have helped things along a bit. But come on.

18 posted on 04/21/2007 10:47:35 AM PDT by southernnorthcarolina (If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
We are all worms. But I believe that I am a glow-worm.

Winston Churchill

19 posted on 04/21/2007 10:56:30 AM PDT by xp38
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DouglasKC

Okay, so just when did the monkey mate with the lowly worm in order to pass these genes on?


20 posted on 04/21/2007 11:02:01 AM PDT by stockpirate (Congress should MANDATE the right to carry concealed weapons in ALL schools.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson