Slashdot Mirror
520-Million-Year-Old Arthropod May Have Had the First Modern Brain
An anonymous reader writes "Scientists say that the recently discovered 520 million year old insect brain, the oldest brain ever discovered in an arthropod, is surprisingly complex for its age, and may be the earliest example on record of a modern brain structure. Hailed as a 'transformative discovery,' researchers said that the 3-inch-long fossilized extinct arthropod found in Yunnan Province, China, shows that insects evolved to have complex brains significantly earlier than previously thought. Researchers said that the fossilized brain, which looks very similar to brains of modern insects, may provide a missing link that offers new insight on the evolutionary history of arthropods, a group of invertebrates that includes insects, spiders and crustaceans."
Access has been blocked because of:
Tru-View has categorised this page as Drugs
Frankly I find the idea of a bug that thinks offensive.
"Finally".
Some days it's just not worth
chewing through my restraints.
You know for sure that the first thought through the minds of Chinese researchers upon finding this fossilized bug: "What does it taste like?"
I mean, that was pretty much my first thought.. well, right after "what's the best way to cook it?"
Over half a billion years. As far as we know, it's only been 13.75 billion years since (the|this most recent) big bang. That's 3.636% (repeating of course) of the age of the universe we've spent evolving our minds. And now we cast our gaze back over half a billion years in wonder.
Reading this from the couch on the TV with large fonts, I read the title as:
520-Million-Year-Old Arthropod May Have Had the First Modem!
and I thought, damn, news for nerds, finally!
But if it wasn't sharp it'd infringe Apple's patents.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
520 million years, or a good ways into the Atdabanian Stage. At that point trilobites have been around for at least 6 million years already. Surely they had fairly sophisticated arthropod brains. I dunno, this seems a little late, the primary radiation in Euarthropoda almost certainly came before this guy lived. In any case the systematics of arthropods are a mess.
"Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem." -- Jefferson
My daughter thinks SHE has the first modern brain.
You are welcome on my lawn.
So after 520 million years, insect 'brains' haven't really evolved at all? What could that mean?
It's incredibly old and has a relatively primitive brain- sounds like a typical Romney supporter. During the debate, will it also get to make up its own facts?
Paul Ryan was that old....
Where was the air cover, the artillery, the AFVs; even arming the troopers with RPGs would have been more effective. And no one in charge seemed to have even an elementary appreciation of battlefield tactics. I suppose the real subtext was that the war with the bugs was just a way of thinning out the surplus human population.
But it was fun watching everyone getting chewed up by the Red Menace... Oops! I meant the bugs........
You mean the earth wasn't created 6,000 years ago?
He did not have the first modern birth control and must have coupled with someone of the opposite gender.
And here we are today with imaginary "Intellectual Property".
Oh, look, Joe found a better, faster way to make fire! Too bad the rest of us aren't allowed to do that.
Oh, look, Bill found that a spear works better than a club for killing prey! Too bad the rest of us can't do that.
Oh, look, John found that using round wheels work better than rectangles with rounded corners! Too bad the rest of us can't use that idea.
Oh, look! ! ! Ted found a way of having sex that looks like a lot more fun. Too bad . . .
Etc, etc.
I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
modern? 520 million years ago? i dont think that word means what you think it means