Comb jellies may have evolved a nervous system entirely independent of other animals
Genomic evidence suggests that comb jellies evolved their nervous systems independently from all other animals, implying that nature may have invented the concept of neurons more than once.
Comb jellies, or Ctenophora, may have developed a nervous system entirely separate from the lineage that produced humans, insects, and jellyfish. A 2023 study utilizing ancient gene linkages suggests that ctenophores are the 'sister' group to all other animals, having diverged over 650 million years ago. Their muscles and through-guts operate via biological pathways distinct from those in other species, supporting the theory of parallel neural evolution.
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