Computational model of primitive nervous system controlling chemotaxis in early multicellular heterotrophs

Abstract

AbstractThis paper presents a model to study a hypothetical role of a simple nervous systems in chemotaxis in early multicellular heterotrophs. The model views the organism as a network of motor units connected by flexible fibers and driven by realistic neuron excitation functions. Through numerical simulations, we identified the parameters that maximize the survival time of the modeled organism, focusing on its ability to efficiently locate and consume food. This synchronization enhances the ability of the modeled organism to navigate toward food and avoid harmful conditions. The model is described using basic mechanical principles and highlights the relationship between motor activity and energy balance. Our results suggest that even early prototypes of neural networks might provide significant survival advantages by optimizing movement and energy use. This study offers insights into how the first primitive nervous systems might have functioned. By publishing the code used in the simulations, we hope to contribute to the toolkit of computational methods and models used for exploration of neural origin and evolution.