A new study by scientists at King's College London's
Institute of Psychiatry and the University of Arizona (UA) published in Science
reveals the deep similarities in how the brain regulates behaviour in
arthropods (such as flies and crabs) and vertebrates (such as fish, mice and
humans).
The findings shed new light on the evolution of the brain
and behaviour and may aid understanding of disease mechanisms underlying mental
health problems.
Based on their own findings and available literature, Dr
Frank Hirth (King's) and Dr Nicholas Strausfeld (UA) compared the development
and function of the central brain regions in arthropods (the 'central complex')
and vertebrates (the 'basal ganglia').