Mind like a sponge: Evolutionary paths to the brain

Abstract

The human brain is one of the most complex arrangements of matter of which we know. This reflects the fact that despite current advances in neuroscience we still do not have a comprehensive understanding of the structure or function of the human brain. It is perhaps understandable that there is still much about the evolution of the brain, and how it came to be so complex, that remains a mystery. This complexity did not arise all at once. The lineage of the human brain can be traced back to the origin and subsequent assemblage of the key neural properties necessary for core functions of generating, sharing and propagating electrical signals.