Invertebrate neurophylogeny: suggested terms and definitions for a neuroanatomical glossary.
BACKGROUND
Invertebrate nervous systems are highly disparate between different taxa. This is reflected in the terminology used to describe them, which is very rich and often confusing. Even very general terms such as 'brain', 'nerve', and 'eye' have been used in various ways in the different animal groups, but no consensus on the exact meaning exists. This impedes our understanding of the architecture of the invertebrate nervous system in general and of evolutionary transformations of nervous system characters between different taxa.


RESULTS
We provide a glossary of invertebrate neuroanatomical terms with a precise and consistent terminology, taxon-independent and free of homology assumptions. This terminology is intended to form a basis for new morphological descriptions. A total of 47 terms are defined. Each entry consists of a definition, discouraged terms, and a background/comment section.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of our revised neuroanatomical terminology in any new descriptions of the anatomy of invertebrate nervous systems will improve the comparability of this organ system and its substructures between the various taxa, and finally even lead to better and more robust homology hypotheses.
Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Abteilung für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Universitätsplatz 2, D-18055 Rostock, Germany. stefan.richter@uni-rostock.de.
Stefan
S
Richter
Rudi
R
Loesel
Günter
G
Purschke
Andreas
A
Schmidt-Rhaesa
Gerhard
G
Scholtz
Thomas
T
Stach
Lars
L
Vogt
Andreas
A
Wanninger
Georg
G
Brenneis
Carmen
C
Döring
Simone
S
Faller
Martin
M
Fritsch
Peter
P
Grobe
Carsten M
CM
Heuer
Sabrina
S
Kaul
Ole S
OS
Møller
Carsten Hg
CH
Müller
Verena
V
Rieger
Birgen H
BH
Rothe
Martin Ej
ME
Stegner
Steffen
S
Harzsch