title: Evolution of patterning systems and circuit elements for locomotion.
abstract: Evolutionary modifications in nervous systems enabled organisms to adapt to their specific environments and underlie the remarkable diversity of behaviors expressed by animals. Resolving the pathways that shaped and modified neural circuits during evolution remains a significant challenge. Comparative studies have revealed a surprising conservation in the intrinsic signaling systems involved in early patterning of bilaterian nervous systems but also raise the question of how neural circuit compositions and architectures evolved within specific animal lineages. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms that contributed to the emergence and diversity of animal nervous systems, focusing on the circuits governing vertebrate locomotion.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), NYU Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Heekyung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), NYU Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. Electronic address: jeremy.dasen@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Jeremy S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dasen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D009420:Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000235:genetics*