In December, Ibloggedabout an animal most people have never heard of–the comb jelly. It’s a gorgeous, mysterious creature that just might belong to the oldest lineage of animals alive today. Today, over at National Geographic News, I’m reporting on a new study of the comb jelly that suggests it’s even more interesting than that. Unlike all other animals with a nervous system, it seems to have evolved nerves and a brain all its own. It even has its own special neurochemical language. If true, it’s about as close to an alien intelligence that we can encounter here on Earth.Check it out.
Originally published May 21, 2014. Copyright 2014 Carl Zimmer.