title: Deuterostome brains: synopsis and commentary.
abstract: The living deuterostomes comprise six monophyletic groups: (1) echinoderms + hemichordates, (2) tunicates, (3) cephalochordates, (4) myxinoids, (5) petromyzontoids, and (6) gnathostomes. The morphotype of the craniote (myxinoids + petromyzontoids + gnathostomes) central nervous system (CNS) comprises a fixed number of histogenetic units, formed by the intersection of transversely oriented neuromeres and longitudinally arranged zones. A well-developed built-in, natural coordinate system adds the third dimension to this morphotype. The classical subdivisions of the craniote CNS: prosencephalon (P), mesencephalon (M), rhombencephalon (R), and spinal cord (S) are each composed of a number of neuromeres. Chordates (larval tunicates + cephalochordates + craniotes) share a highly characteristic axial complex, encompassing a dorsal tubular CNS, a notochord and bilateral series of segmental muscles. In all chordates the CNS can be divided into a rostral (P-like + M-like), an intermediate (R-like) and a caudal (S-like) sector, and sets of homologous developmental genes play a role in this tripartitioning. There are no indications for the presence of olfactory or other telencephalic regions in the brain of non-craniote chordates. Convincing evidence that parts of the chordate CNS are homologous to parts of the larval or adult CNS of non-chordate deuterostomes (echinoderms + hemichordates) is lacking. The dorsal tubular CNS is most probably a chordate autapomorphy.
authors.affiliation: sbakker@nki.nl
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nieuwenhuys
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D064174:Cephalochordata / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002816:Chordata, Nonvertebrate / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D004447:Echinodermata / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D014561:Urochordata / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000033:anatomy & histology*