December 18, 2014

Of Bugs and Brains



Brain structures devoted to learning and memory are highly conserved in the animal kingdom, suggesting a common evolutionary origin.

It turns out that the structure and function of brain centers responsible for learning and memory in a wide range of invertebrate species may possibly share the same fundamental characteristics, according to a new study published in the journal Current Biology and performed by University of Arizona neuroscientists Nicholas Strausfeld, Regents' Professor in the Department of Neuroscience, part of the UA's School of Mind, Brain and Behavior, and Gabriella Wolff.