Morphology

This isn't a pure philosophy issue, but maybe someone has some ideas, knows of some resources, or wants to do some research. Do different principles apply in describing the evolutionary development and ontogenesis of human cognition vs. that of less conceptual species vs. a non-cognitive system such as blood circulation? Historically, how have the relative forms of brains, nervous systems and bodies morphed, and what relationship does this process have to current maturation, especially the human kind?