Neuro’s ark

Recent articles

This series highlights neuroscience research in nontraditional organisms and the questions those animals are well suited to help researchers answer.

Illustration of pipa frog showing nerves in fingertips.

How the pipa frog hunts prey by touch

Each of the frog’s eight fingers branches into 16 ultra-sensitive tips, which together function as a fovea—potentially the first demonstration of this type of sensory structure outside of mammals.

By Calli McMurray
30 September 2026 | 7 min read
An illustration of a sea cucumber as it moves through it's environment; depicted in shades of purple.

Inside the sea cucumber’s regenerative superpowers

José E. García-Arrarás studies how these marine invertebrates manage to regrow their nervous system, intestines and other internal organs in a matter of months after threats prompt them to literally spill their guts.

By Alissa de Chassey
28 August 2026 | 5 min read
An illustration of a sea cucumber as it moves through it's environment; depicted in shades of purple.

Os superpoderes regenerativos do pepino-do-mar

José E. García-Arrarás estuda como esses invertebrados marinhos conseguem regenerar seu sistema nervoso, intestinos e outros órgãos internos em questão de meses, depois que ameaças os levam a, literalmente, "expelir suas entranhas".

By Alissa de Chassey
28 August 2026 | 6 min read
An illustration of a sea cucumber as it moves through it's environment; depicted in shades of purple.

Los superpoderes regenerativos del pepino de mar

José E. García-Arrarás estudia cómo estos invertebrados marinos logran regenerar su sistema nervioso, intestinos y otros órganos internos en cuestión de meses, tras amenazas que los llevan a expulsar sus vísceras.

By Alissa de Chassey
28 August 2026 | 6 min read
Ground squirrel.

How thirteen-lined ground squirrels illuminate retinal development

In most mammalian retinas, rods outnumber cones. But that ratio is flipped in ground squirrels, a quirk that helps Seth Blackshaw explore how retinal cells develop their identities.

By Sarah Thau
31 July 2026 | 5 min read
Mosquito.

What mosquitos lay bare about proprioception

By comparing the proprioceptive systems of mosquitos and fruit flies, Sweta Agrawal aims to uncover fundamental features of the ability to sense self-movement.

By Calli McMurray
1 July 2026 | 5 min read
Illustration of spiny mouse.

Learning why spiny mice play well with others

Aubrey Kelly studies the gregarious mammal to explore how the brain controls complex social behaviors “akin to friendship.”

By Hannah Thomasy
2 June 2026 | 5 min read
leech illustration.

What leeches reveal about movement

Lidia Szczupak turned to the animals to explore how the nervous system coordinates movement.

By Claudia López Lloreda
1 May 2026 | 6 min read
Sanguessuga medicinal.

O que as sanguessugas revelam sobre o movimento

Lidia Szczupak recorreu a esses animais para investigar como o sistema nervoso coordena o movimento.

By Claudia López Lloreda
1 May 2026 | 6 min read
La sanguijuela medicinal.

Lo que las sanguijuelas revelan sobre movimiento

Lidia Szczupak recurrió a los animales para explorar cómo el sistema nervioso coordina el movimiento.

By Claudia López Lloreda
1 May 2026 | 6 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of a person standing in a crumbling room with papers and strings on the wall, a fallen chair, and a lamp.

What to do when traditional mechanistic approaches no longer work

Many complex behaviors have stubbornly resisted mechanistic explanations. Deciphering them will require new approaches—and perhaps a new concept of “understanding.”

By Bence Ölveczky
19 October 2026 | 8 min read
Image showing duplicated data.

University probe leads to retraction of four neural tube studies

The University of Maryland conducted an internal investigation that identified image duplications and other data integrity issues in the studies, according to the retraction notices.

By Claudia López Lloreda
16 October 2026 | 6 min read
Illustration of five purple rectangles arranged three-dimensionally like folders on a black background with a pattern of white dots and white plus signs.

Highly cited autism paper earns expression of concern over data duplications

The notice, published in Nature last week, also addressed an image duplication identified by a prominent research-integrity sleuth.

By Madeline Shaw
16 October 2026 | 4 min read