The Influence of Wiring Economy on Nervous System Evolution

The activity and maintenance of neurons requires substantial metabolic energy, resulting in selective pressure to decrease resource consumption by the nervous system. The wiring economy principle proposes that animals have evolved mechanisms that wire circuits efficiently by minimizing neurite lengt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current biology 2016-10, Vol.26 (20), p.R1101-R1108
Main Authors: Wang, Irving E., Clandinin, Thomas R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological Evolution
Computational Biology
Invertebrates - physiology
Models, Neurological
Nervous System Physiological Phenomena
Vertebrates - physiology
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Summary:The activity and maintenance of neurons requires substantial metabolic energy, resulting in selective pressure to decrease resource consumption by the nervous system. The wiring economy principle proposes that animals have evolved mechanisms that wire circuits efficiently by minimizing neurite length. Computational modeling of neuronal morphology, microcircuit organization, and neural networks reveals that wiring economy is a significant determinant of nervous system layout. The strategies for reducing wiring costs are shared across phyla and point to the possibility of generalizable rules that specify the development of efficient nervous systems. As the developmental mechanisms underpinning wiring economy are only now being elucidated, whether the molecular basis of this phenomenon is the result of conserved genetic programs or convergent evolution remains to be determined. In this review, Wang and Clandinin consider the extent to which neuron morphology and the architecture of neural networks in animals reflect selective pressure to increase wiring efficiency.
ISSN:0960-9822
1879-0445
DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2016.08.053