New fossil discovery sheds light on the early evolution of animal nervous systems
Groundbreaking research uncovers the origins of the ventral nerve cord in early moulting animals Originally published by by Queen Mary, University of London , on:13 January 2025 Tubular incomplete specimens of Eopriapulites sphinx from the early Cambrian Kuanchuanpu Formation, showing their ventral nerve cord. Credit: Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr0896 An international team of scientists has uncovered a fascinating piece of the evolutionary puzzle: how the ventral nerve cord , a key component of the central nervous system, evolved in ecdysozoan animals , a group that includes insects, nematodes, and priapulid worms. Their findings , published in Science Advances , provide valuable insights into the origins of these structures in the basal Cambrian period . The research team, comprising Dr Deng Wang (Northwest University), Dr Jean Vannier (Université de Lyon), Dr Chema Martin-Durán (Queen Mary University of London), and Dr María Herranz (Rey ...