![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/jellyfish-are-smarter-than-we-thought/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/0_GERMANY-SCIENCE-NATURE-ANIMAL-DENMARK.jpg&description=A new scientific consensus could arise regarding how we understand the human brain, in particular the processes of learning and remembering, and we have jellyfish to thank Jellyfish are far more smart than previously thought - and could teach us much about the human brain, a new study has revealed. Researchers in the Current Biology journal found the poisonous Caribbean box jellyfish learn new things at a more complex level than we once understood - even though they don't have a centralised brain. Scientists have argued this could fundamentally change the way we understand the human brain. Jellyfish have generally been seen as simple and limited in their learning capabilities with scientists believing more advanced nervous systems leads to more advanced learning potential. But with only 1,000 nerve cells, jellyfish are now challenging this consensus. Cnidarians - an umbrella term for jellyfish and their cousins - are believed to be the earliest animals to have developed nervous systems. Professor Anders Garm, a neurobiologist at the University of Copenhagen, said: "It was once presumed that jellyfish can only manage the simplest forms of learning, including habituation – the ability to get used to a certain stimulation, such as a constant sound or constant touch. Now, we see that jellyfish have a much more refined ability to learn, and that they can actually learn from their mistakes. And in doing so, modify their behaviour." The study showed that jellyfish can assess distance and make decisions. "Our experiments show that contrast – how dark the root is in relation to the water – is used by the jellyfish to assess distances to roots, which allows them to swim away at just the right moment," Prof. Garm explained according to the Sun. "Even more interesting is that the relationship between distance and contrast changes on a daily basis due to rainwater, algae and wave action." It found that box jellyfish - among the world's most poisonous animals - can in fact learn){kind=link}
A new scientific consensus could arise regarding how we understand the human brain, in particular the processes of learning and remembering, and we have jellyfish to thank
Jellyfish are far more smart than previously thought – and could teach us much about the human brain, a new study has revealed.
Researchers in the Current Biology journal found the poisonous Caribbean box jellyfish learn new things at a more complex level than we once understood – even though they don’t have a centralised brain. Scientists have argued this could fundamentally change the way we understand the human brain.
Jellyfish have generally been seen as simple and limited in their learning capabilities with scientists believing more advanced nervous systems leads to more advanced learning potential. But with only 1,000 nerve cells, jellyfish are now challenging this consensus.
Cnidarians – an umbrella term for jellyfish and their cousins – are believed to be the earliest animals to have developed nervous systems. Professor Anders Garm, a neurobiologist at the University of Copenhagen, said: “It was once presumed that jellyfish can only manage the simplest forms of learning, including habituation â the ability to get used to a certain stimulation, such as a constant sound or constant touch. Now, we see that jellyfish have a much more refined ability to learn, and that they can actually learn from their mistakes. And in doing so, modify their behaviour.”