title: The genealogy of genealogy of neurons.
abstract: Two scenarios of neuronal evolution (monophyly and polyphyly) are discussed in the historical timeline starting from the 19th century. The recent genomic studies on Ctenophores re-initiated a broad interest in the hypotheses of independent origins of neurons. However, even earlier work on ctenophores suggested that their nervous systems are unique in many aspects of their organization and a possibility of the independent origin of neurons and synapses was introduced well before modern advances in genomic biology.
authors.affiliation: The Whitney Laboratory of Marine Biosciences and Department of Neuroscience and McKnight Brain Institute; University of Florida ; Gainesville, FL USA.
authors.forename: Leonid L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Moroz
keywords: ctenophora; evolution; genome; mnemiopsis; neurons; neurotransmitters; phylogeny; pleurobrachia