When the caterpillar goes into its cocoon, it basically liquifies itself into a soup, including the nervous system. So for a while scientists didn’t know how much of the old caterpillar really remained in the new butterfly, or if it was essentially killing itself and birthing a new organism from the goop.
Unfortunately for the common misunderstanding, “basically” is doing too much heavy lifting there. Most of their cells are replaced or reconfigured during metamorphosis but the central nervous system is not reduced to an unconnected paste. Linking an ancient Reddit thread for an overview and terms to chase down if you’re curious. https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mpqu2/what_happens_to_a_caterpillars_brain_during/c32x1pc/
When the caterpillar goes into its cocoon, it basically liquifies itself into a soup, including the nervous system. So for a while scientists didn’t know how much of the old caterpillar really remained in the new butterfly, or if it was essentially killing itself and birthing a new organism from the goop.
Unfortunately for the common misunderstanding, “basically” is doing too much heavy lifting there. Most of their cells are replaced or reconfigured during metamorphosis but the central nervous system is not reduced to an unconnected paste. Linking an ancient Reddit thread for an overview and terms to chase down if you’re curious. https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mpqu2/what_happens_to_a_caterpillars_brain_during/c32x1pc/