- Joined
- Dec 24, 2002
- Messages
- 1,169
Armstrong,
Thanks for the reply. From my reading, cephs have built upon the basic molluscan neural network: That is, an anterior circumenteric ganglia and paired ventral nerve cords, with a few neat little twists here and there...
Its analogous, perhaps even homologous, to the ladder-like nervous system of the platyhelminthes (flatworms). It doesn't surprise me that you couldn't find a "brain" per se in the squid... Its as distinct from the chordate brain as you can get.
What I was wondering is how intelligent they are, and how they learn and retain information given that their "brains" aren't really brains. There is a serious evolutionary need for intelligence here, given the ceph design, but the neural mapping and how it affects behavior is what has me confused...
Any thoughts? If anyone has a pet Octo or Squid, have you noticed anything interesting about their behavior?
Sushi and Sake,
John
Thanks for the reply. From my reading, cephs have built upon the basic molluscan neural network: That is, an anterior circumenteric ganglia and paired ventral nerve cords, with a few neat little twists here and there...
Its analogous, perhaps even homologous, to the ladder-like nervous system of the platyhelminthes (flatworms). It doesn't surprise me that you couldn't find a "brain" per se in the squid... Its as distinct from the chordate brain as you can get.
What I was wondering is how intelligent they are, and how they learn and retain information given that their "brains" aren't really brains. There is a serious evolutionary need for intelligence here, given the ceph design, but the neural mapping and how it affects behavior is what has me confused...
Any thoughts? If anyone has a pet Octo or Squid, have you noticed anything interesting about their behavior?
Sushi and Sake,
John