Researchers have trained the Caribbean box jellyfish (Tripedalia cystophora) to detect and avoid obstacles.
While it was previously thought that a central brain was required for advanced learning capabilities, these new findings challenge that view and shed light on the evolutionary roots of learning and memory.
These simple-looking jellyfish, which are about the size of a fingernail, possess a complex visual system consisting of 24 eyes on their bell-shaped bodies. Living in mangrove swamps, these animals use their sense of sight to navigate murky waters and set traps for their prey around underwater tree roots.
Scientists have shown that jellyfish can acquire the ability to avoid obstacles they encounter through associative learning. This form of learning is a process in which organisms create mental connections between sensory stimuli and behaviors.
Jan Bielecki, the lead author of the paper who works at Kiel University in Germany, says, "Learning is the peak performance for nervous systems."
'IF WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND COMPLEX STRUCTURES...'
Anders Garm, a senior author working at the University of Copenhagen, summarizes the situation as follows:
"If you want to understand complex structures, it is always best to start as simply as possible. By looking at these relatively simple nervous systems in jellyfish, we have a much higher chance of understanding all the details and how they come together to produce behavior."
News Source: 12punto
