Biology
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Throughout their development, animals of various taxa go through different larval stages, which have evolved adaptations to interact with specific environments. Larval nervous systems in particular experience strong selection pressures since they control crucial physiological and behavioral processes, especially in taxa with planktotrophic larvae that need to acquire food. Selection pressures also can vary across life history stages if there are differences in factors such as habitat, predation avoidance, and diet. There is evidence for this in the relationship of the larval nervous system to the adult nervous system, which can vary widely between species. Understanding the specific adaptations of larval nervous systems requires an understanding of basic developmental processes such as cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation. In several species, the larval stages are still understudied and many questions about the development, physiology, and morphology of their nervous systems remain unanswered. Furthermore, comparisons of larval nervous systems among different animal species can be highly useful for reconstructing how the nervous systems evolved under similar or different selection pressures.
Publication Title
Frontiers in Neuroscience
Publication Date
2025
Volume
19
ISSN
1662-4548
DOI
10.3389/fnins.2025.1721513
Keywords
development, invertebrates, larva, neuron, serotonin
Repository Citation
Vöcking, Oliver; Carrillo-Baltodano, Allan; and Meyer, Néva, "Editorial: The development and evolution of larval nervous systems" (2025). Biology. 443.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_biology/443
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright Conditions
Vöcking, O., Carrillo-Baltodano, A., & Meyer, N. P. (2025). The development and evolution of larval nervous systems. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 19, 1721513. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2025.1721513
