Sea Creature Has Unique Nervous System

A scientist calls it an example of parallel evolution.

There’s a new glitch in the theory of how simple sea creatures evolved into more complex animals. Researchers have been examining exotic sea creatures called comb jellies  These “simple” translucent creatures not only have the ability to regenerate lost body parts, even their very rudimentary brains, but, even more puzzling to the researchers, comb jellies have been found to possess a nervous system unlike that of any other animal.

In looking at the genes of 10 different comb jelly species, the researchers have concluded the comb jelly nervous system is unique, which means, according to the scientists, the nervous system in animals must have “evolved” twice. Team leader, University of Florida neurobiologist Leonid Moroz, calls the comb jellies “aliens” because of how their nervous system developed. They essentially used their own biological language to build their nervous system.

The general theory of evolution holds that all animals evolved from a single ancestor, with the earliest animals being simple and gradually over time becoming more complex. But Moroz’s team found that the comb jellies represent the oldest branch of the family tree and not the simpler sea sponges which traditionally had been considered the oldest. Yet, sponges don’t have a nervous system.

Moroz suggested “parallel evolution” as an explanation for why comb jellies have a nervous system so different from other animals. In other words, the comb jellies developed circuits of neurons their own way while the other animals have other genes they used for neural development and function. "It's almost like evolution has given us two different blueprints for building a structure that's very important," biologist Antonis Rokas of Vanderbilt University added.

Parallel evolution is a convenient concept scientists often use to try to explain why similar features or body parts show up in various types of animals not connected by any evolutionary linkage. Take, for instance, the eye of an octopus and the very similar eye of humans. Eyes are very complex organs, and it is difficult to think they could have evolved even once, much less two or more times.

The nervous system itself is a complex system. According to Wikipedia, nervous systems typically have “two main parts, the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS contains the brain and spinal cord. The PNS consists mainly of nerves, which are enclosed bundles of the long fibers or axons, that connect the CNS to every other part of the body. The PNS includes motor neurons, mediating voluntary movement; the autonomic nervous system, comprising the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system, which regulate involuntary functions, and the enteric nervous system, which functions to control the gastrointestinal system.” If that sounds complicated, that’s because it is. While the nervous system of the comb jellies may not be as complex, the fact remains we are told to believe all nervous systems were created by evolution, a blind and random process.

It is far more reasonable to believe they were created by God. God in His wisdom chose to give one type of nervous system to comb jellies and a different type to other animals. And we don’t need to be amazed when we learn about the complexities of so-called primitive organisms because we know the creatures were designed with their complex features in place right from the beginning. But, of all amazing things God has designed, His plan of salvation is perhaps the most amazing. That He would send His own innocent Son to die for our sins so we could go blameless to heaven is true, whether we can comprehend it or not.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought  us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6).

Reference: Lauran Neergaard, “ 'Aliens of sea' provide new insight into evolution,” Yahoo News/AP.

(Photo of comb jellies from Wikimedia Commons, by Steve Jurvetson.)
  
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QUESTION OF THE DAY

Should dogs and cats be allowed to eat grass?

Some dogs or cats may have a grass allergy and will vomit, sometimes deliberately, in an attempt to cure an upset stomach. However, many pets can eat grass without ill effects. Meanwhile, all pets should be kept away from fertilized or pesticide-treated greenery. The best bet is to buy and grow indoor “cat grass” available at pet stores.

Source: Spry Living (May, 2014)

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