Well before I start collecting coats, keys, or shoes, my dog always knows when we’re about to leave. By picking up on subtle cues, he anticipates our next movements, reminding me he’s smarter than he often shows.

But anticipation isn’t always about the brain. Our new research reveals even an animal with no brain at all can anticipate what’s coming next.

The metamorphosis of the sea sponge

Sea sponges are one of our most distant animal relatives, lacking all the familiar sensory apparatus. They have no brain, no nerves, and no neurons. Being not much more than well-organized collections of specialized cells, they’re pretty much as simple as animal life gets.

And yet, sea sponges carry out a wildly complicated process much like a backward version of a caterpillar’s transformation, from squidgy grub to free-flying bug. Starting out as free-swimming larvae, about half the size of a chia seed, they transfigure themselves into shapeless, spongy lumps, cemented in place.

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