Events in Early Nervous System Evolution
Open accessAbstract
We propose that neurons and nervous systems evolved among thin, motile, microbe‐eating animals during the Ediacaran period (635–543 million years ago). Spiking neurons evolved from epithelial cells around the margins of Ediacaran microbial mat grazers that initially specialized to detect weak bioelectric fields of nearby animals and to trigger rapid withdrawal movements. According to this scenario, nervous systems are a consequence of two preceding animal innovations, external digestion and motility, which have co‐evolved in concert with nervous systems ever since. We suggest that fundamental characteristics of modern nervous systems can be explained by studying how nervous systems originated during the Ediacaran period, as natural computers for predictive statistical inference given event‐based sense data.
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The emergence of multicellular organisms close to the Cambrian explosion precipitated goal-directed movement and behaviours that required enhanced environmental perception and memory.
“Moreover, the emergence of multicellular organisms close to the Cambrian explosion precipitated goal-directed movement and behaviours that required enhanced environmental perception and memory [242].”
From Fundamental constraints to the logic of living systems (2024) · cites this paper as [242]
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Fundamental constraints to the logic of living systems
Solé, R., Kempes, C. P., Corominas-Murtra, B., De Domenico, M., Kolchinsky, A., Lachmann, M., Libby, E., Saavedra, S., Smith, E., & Wolpert, D. (2024) · Interface Focus · doi:10.1098/rsfs.2024.0010 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Paulin, M. G., & Cahill‐Lane, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Otago (NZ)
- Corresponding author
- Paulin, Michael G.
- ORCID
- Paulin, Michael G.
- Venue
- Topics in Cognitive Science
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2019-09-28
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 25-44
- ISSN
- 1756-8757 (ISSN-L)
- 1756-8765
- OpenAlex
- W2976625582
- Cited by
- 35
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 2.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Topics in Cognitive Science (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Embodied and Extended Cognition
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
- Keywords
- nervous system evolution, microbial mats, bioelectric fields, motility, spiking neurons, epithelial cells, animal evolution, event-based sensing
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Biological Evolution, Fossils, Humans, Nervous System, Neurons
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