Brainless creatures like jellyfish and sea anemones are overturning scientific assumptions by showing that learning and adaptive behavior can occur without a brain. These animals rely on distributed nerve nets—networks of neurons spread across their bodies—to process sensory input and coordinate actions such as swimming, feeding, and contracting.
The Caribbean box jellyfish, for instance, uses clusters of neurons around its eyes to navigate complex habitats, linking visual cues with touch sensations. Similarly, sea anemones demonstrate associative learning, recognizing and reducing aggression toward genetically identical neighbors—a sign of distinguishing “self” from “non-self.”
Experiments reveal that jellyfish can learn to avoid obstacles by associating light changes with tactile feedback, exhibiting a primitive form of memory. Even slime molds and plants, though brainless, display comparable learning behaviors, remembering food locations or becoming habituated to repetitive stimuli.
Scientists suggest these capabilities stem from early evolutionary adaptations, where neurons—or even cellular communication systems—handled tasks resembling learning and decision-making.
These discoveries challenge the long-held belief that cognition requires a brain, revealing that intelligence and learning can emerge from decentralized neural networks, expanding our understanding of how life processes information and adapts to its environment.
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