Edwards J S
Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Brain Behav Evol. 1997 Jul;50(1):8-12. doi: 10.1159/000113317.
The Insecta encompasses a prodigiously diverse group as measured at the species, family and ordinal levels, but the nervous system bears evidence of conservatism. The early acquisition of flight must have been a major factor in the diversification of body form. Arguments are presented that predator evasion was a primary factor in the origin of flight and that a conserved set of giant interneurons played a key element in the transition.
昆虫纲在物种、科和目等层面上包含了一个极其多样的群体，但神经系统显示出保守性的迹象。飞行能力的早期获得必定是身体形态多样化的一个主要因素。有人提出，躲避捕食者是飞行起源的一个主要因素，并且一组保守的巨型中间神经元在这一转变过程中发挥了关键作用。
