This animal's behavior is mechanically programmed

Biomechanical interactions, rather than neurons, control the movements of one of the simplest animals. The discovery offers a glimpse into how animal behavior worked before neurons evolved.

Trichoplax adhaerens
Prakash Lab The extremely simple animal Trichoplax adhaerens moves and responds to its environment with agility and seeming purpose, yet it has no neurons or muscles to coordinate its movements. New work shows that biomechanical interactions among the animal’s cilia are sufficient to explain how it moves.