Lamprey Brain Atlas Maps Individual Cells
Chinese researchers built the first three-dimensional single-cell atlas of the entire lamprey brain, published in June in Science.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Life Sciences
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Scientists from China constructed the first three-dimensional single-cell atlas of the whole lamprey brain, providing a high-resolution molecular map of cell locations and active genes. The study, published as a cover study in Science in June, was led by Su Bing of the Kunming Institute of Zoology.
Why it matters
Lampreys' basic body plan has remained largely unchanged in the fossil record for about 360 million years, making their brains a window into early vertebrate evolution. The atlas helps scientists trace how neuron types and brain structures arose in ancestral species.
The atlas maps individual cell locations and active genes across the lamprey brain, with gene-expression patterns showing striking similarities to a mouse brain in several regions. Lampreys' body plan has remained largely unchanged for about 360 million years, but the atlas does not by itself explain the functional roles of their unusual midbrain neurons.
The players
Su Bing
Su Bing is a researcher at the Kunming Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who led the lamprey brain atlas study.
Kunming Institute of Zoology
The Kunming Institute of Zoology is a research institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences based in Kunming, China.
The details
Researchers identified lamprey-specific midbrain neurons and unusually large Muller cells, along with anamniote-enriched neurons expressing markers tied to both excitatory and inhibitory signaling. The team compared genomic and molecular data across zebrafish, turtles, lizards, zebra finches, pigeons, mice and macaques, and linked the emergence of specialist neurons to an ancient second whole-genome duplication in jawed-vertebrate ancestors.
Timeline
June 2026: Lamprey brain atlas published as a cover study in Science.
The Big Picture
The atlas extends the comparative neuroscience program at the Kunming Institute of Zoology by applying single-cell mapping to an early-diverging vertebrate lineage. It sits alongside genomic comparisons of the second whole-genome duplication, which the team links to the emergence of specialist neurons in jawed vertebrates.
The atlas is basic research and has no immediate consumer application. Su said the work could eventually offer insights for artificial intelligence design, though the team has not yet described specific applications.
The takeaway
Lampreys preserve a glimpse of early vertebrate brain organization that has persisted for hundreds of millions of years. Mapping their neurons cell by cell offers a practical way to test how brains of fish, reptiles, birds and mammals diverged from a shared ancestor.
Further reading
Explore more discoveries in Life Sciences to see how cell-level mapping is reshaping evolutionary biology.
Source note: This article includes information reported by China Daily.
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