Dawn of the Neuron: The Early Struggles To Trace the Origin of Nervous Systems

This thorough, readable history of coelenterate nervous system research explores how physiology and anatomy, strong scientific personalities, Charles Darwin's theories and evolutionary biology, and various methodologies have contributed to our current understanding of coelenterate nervous systems. Anctil (Honorary Professor of Biology, Université de Montréal) explains foundational discoveries from the many early studies focused on cnidaria, such as jellyfish and sea anemones, and from somewhat later studies that included ctenophores, or comb jellies, which have ciliary comb rows but no stinging cells. The sociocultural contexts of these studies also proves important, particularly the tensions between European and American researchers, the lack of a foothold for Darwinian ideas in this research, and routes that vertebrate and invertebrate neuroanatomists took that have had lasting impacts on what has been studied and how. Anctil describes the evolution of the science through prominent coelenterate researchers and discusses the findings of many others in between, exploring the developing methodologies that have led to many discoveries and techniques. Still unanswered, however, is how these systems evolved.