Although patchy, the fossil record of coleoids bears a wealth of information on their soft part anatomy. Here, we describe remains of the axial nerve cord from both decabrachian (Acanthoteuthis, Belemnotheutis, Chondroteuthis) and octobrachian (Plesioteuthis, Proteroctopus, Vampyronassa) coleoids from the Jurassic. We discuss some hypotheses reflecting on possible evolutionary drivers behind the neuroanatomical differentiation of the coleoid arm crown. We also propose some hypotheses on potential links between habitat depth, mode of life and the evolution of the Coleoidea.
Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13358-023-00285-3.
Keywords: Brain; Cephalopoda; Ganglion; Konservat-Lagerstätte; Nervous system; Neuroanatomy; Taphonomy.
© Akademie der Naturwissenschaften Schweiz (SCNAT) 2023.