Scientists told about a brainless creature capable of learning
Miscellaneous / / April 05, 2023
When learning is light. Literally.
Researchers from the University of Friborg (Switzerland) and the University of Barcelona (Spain) figured outthat sea star anemones (Nematostella vectensis) are capable of associative learning. This is surprising, because they do not have a typical brain.
In their study, the biologists randomly assigned groups of 10 or 18 star sea anemones, and then conducted paired and unpaired tests with them - they were exposed to light and electrical impulses simultaneously and out of sync. In the process, the reaction of animals was recorded, namely, their retraction of tentacles.
The scientists then tested their reactions to light alone. As it turned out, 72% of the creatures participating in the paired trials remembered that it was accompanied by a current, so they immediately pulled in the tentacles. The performance among participants in unpaired tests was lower - at the level of 30%.
Scientists suggest that this coelenterate's ability to learn is an example of "embodied cognition." They plan to continue studying the structure of memory in organisms that do not have a typical brain.
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