1 Correction to: Eur. Phys. J. E (2022) 45:31 https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-022-00184-4

Figure 1b is missing from the pdf version of this article; the figure should have appeared as shown below. The original article has been corrected.

Fig. 1
figure 1

a To the left, the lamprey or “flute-fish” exhibits a striking structure composed of a cylindrical body, having cylindrical “holes” with translational symmetry along the dorso-ventral boundary, and one large anterior circle (the mouth), located around the axis of symmetry. To the right, a typical human profile. In higher vertebrates, head flexure locates the mouth, nose, eyes and ears along a deformed anterior tube. b The flexure of the neural tube, as invoked by Wilhelm His (1831–1904). The flexure of the neural tube (Right), is supposed to be analogous to the flexure of a rubber tube (Left) (©Michael Holtz/Photo12)