Research reveals ‘sea walnuts’ fuse together if they become injured, and nervous systems merge
It might not be what the Spice Girls envisaged when they sang 2 Become 1, but scientists have found comb jellies do actually fuse together if they are injured.
, the team reports that, among other features, the creature appeared to have two “aboral ends”, or backsides.“This led us to wonder if it was the result of two independent animals fusing,” he said. “That same night, we began trying to replicate this observation.” Among other findings, the team found when they prodded one side of the fused creature both individuals jerked and contracted, a result that suggests the nervous systems of the pair might have merged, they say.
“Beyond that, our observations suggest that ctenophores might serve as an excellent model for investigating evolutionary processes of self-recognition systems and advancing our understanding of tissue grafting and regeneration in many tissues, including the nervous system.”
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