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No, we are not talking about alcohol or about making any biblical reference. This is the latest discovery with respect to animals by the Scientists at Georgia State University. The researchers have reorganised an animal’s brain to act like another species’ brain!

Certain characteristics or behaviour points remain unchanged in species when they evolve. Therefore there are a number of examples out there wherein different species or animals display the same key actions but use different neural circuits to perform these behaviours.

This particular study was conducted on a group of gastropod molluscs known as Nudibranch. These species are found all around the globe and resemble something of a cross between sea slugs and pokemon.  Previous research has established that the two nudibranch molluscs Melibe leonina and Dendronotus iris have homologous behaviours produced by distinct network mechanisms; they happen to have in common, the way they swim- both flatten themselves a little like a fish, and flex their bodies side to side in bursts for several seconds to get from one place to another.

In this study, a toxic plant extract called curare was used to block individual neurons of the species preventing the brain from producing impulses that would allow it to swim

. Then the connections between the brain cells of the hooded nudibranch were artificially stimulated by using electrode implants. This now allowed Dendronotus iris to swim again, using the same neurons in a completely different way. This establishes that, if behaviour is important, then the brain can devise new circuits to keep it, without needing to develop whole new bits of anatomy in order to do so.

Although, at this point it is not clear cut as to why the two species used the same neural signal to do the same thing in different ways, the bottom line is that just because they seem to behave the same and have the same neural anatomy doesn’t essentially mean they’re using them in the exact same way.

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