“Smart” worm surprises scientists with complex decisions

worm Pristionchus pacificuscontaining only 300 neurons, surprised scientists with its ability to make complex decisions and more intelligent behavior compared to worms of other species. The results were reported in an article published in the scientific journal current biology.

To reach these discoveries, scientists put Pristionchus pacificus In the same environment as another predatory worm: Certain types are elegant. The idea was to see how the two species behave when obtaining food (in this case, certain bacteria).

when P. Pacific next to a caterpillar C. elegans (for example, a “baby” worm) In the laboratory, she spared no effort to kill it, get rid of the competition and even get a new food option. However, when faced with a file C. elegans As an adult, the behavior was different: attacks were more contained, with the goal of only alerting the enemy, and causing casualties.

The researchers’ theory is that P. Pacific He makes a complicated decision, because he chooses his battles well. Like a fight with C. elegans An adult may cause wear and tear and may lead to potential injury, the predator only chooses to mark the area, ensuring food for itself.

The article cites P. Pacific As a versatile worm that can use the same procedure to achieve different long-term goals. During the experiments, the team noted that the species was also more likely to be attacked when there were fewer bacteria around. This indicates that these organisms take into account different types of information when making decisions.

At the moment, scientists still do not know exactly how . is used P. Pacific makes complex decisions with such a small number of neurons, but at some point, they blocked the worm’s ability to produce dopamine – a neurotransmitter – This boosted attacks. Blocking another transmitter called octopamine, in turn, meant that the attacks were directed only at the larvae.

source: current biology