Like Minds

Drawing similarities between humans and somewhat surprising creatures like fruit flies and zebrafish often allows researchers to use them as 'models' for different aspects of health and development. Researchers studying the developing brain of this newly hatched octopus larva (Octopus vulgaris) – seen just behind the eye. They found that, similar to mammals, cells destined to become neurons often migrate long distances to plug into the developing brain. Some of these cells are controlled by similar proteins or transcription factors to those that shape our own nervous systems. While our evolution took a branching path from cephalopods like the octopus, these studies suggest there may be common features in the development of large complex brains, which may reveal secrets to our own brains.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Image from work by Astrid Deryckere and colleagues
• Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in eLife, August 2021