Evolution of Endolymph Secretion and Endolymphatic Potential Generation in the Vertebrate Inner Ear
The ear of extant vertebrates reflects multiple independent evolutionary trajectories. Examples include the middle ear or the unique specializations of the mammalian cochlea. Another striking difference between vertebrate inner ears concerns the differences in the magnitude of the endolymphatic potential. This differs both between the vestibular and auditory part of the inner ear as well as between the auditory periphery in different vertebrates. Here we provide a comparison of the cellular and molecular mechanisms in different endorgans across vertebrates. We begin with the lateral line and vestibular systems, as they lik...
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - November 9, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Erratum
Brain Behav Evol (Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution)
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - November 1, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
How Not to Be Turned into a Zombie
The emerald jewel wasp (Ampulex compressa) is renowned for its ability to zombify the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) with a sting to the brain. When the venom takes effect, the cockroach becomes passive and can be led by its antenna into a hole, where the wasp deposits an egg and then seals the exit with debris. The cockroach has the ability to walk, run, or fly if properly stimulated, but it does not try to escape as it is slowly eaten alive by the developing wasp larva. Although the composition and effects of the wasp ’s venom have been investigated, no studies have detailed how cockroaches might prevent th...
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - October 31, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Environmental Influences on Neuromorphology in the Non-Native Starling < b > < i > Sturnus vulgaris < /i > < /b >
This study identifies associations between the brain volume of a non-native species and the environment; further work in this area is required to elucidate the mechanisms driving this relationship.Brain Behav Evol (Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution)
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - September 17, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
The Role of Acetylcholine in Attention in Turtles ( < b > < i > Chrysemys picta < /i > < /b > )
Research on mammals and turtles has suggested that acetylcholine is involved in attention in these groups. Two experiments investigated the ability of painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) to ignore irrelevant stimuli when the basal forebrain acetylcholine system was compromised. In experiment 1, turtles given lesions of the basal magnocellular cholinergic nucleus (NBM) or sham lesions were tested on a go/no go discrimination between horizontal and vertical stripes with or without irrelevant inserts in the box. The irrelevant inserts were blue and white checked walls and green carpet on the floor. The group with lesions of the...
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - September 7, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
The 38th Annual Meeting of the J.B. Johnston Club for Evolutionary Neuroscience and the 30th Annual Karger Workshop in Evolutionary Neuroscience: Abstracts
Brain Behav Evol 2018;91:252 –260 (Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution)
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - August 24, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Contents Vol. 91, 2018
Brain Behav Evol 2018;91:I –IV (Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution)
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - August 24, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Retinal Morphology and Visual Specializations in Three Species of Chimaeras, the Deep-Sea < b > < i > R. pacifica < /i > < /b > and < b > < i > C. lignaria < /i > < /b > , and the Vertical Migrator < b > < i > C. milii < /i > < /b > (Holocephali)
This study compares the retinal morphology of two species of deep-sea chimaeras, the Pacific spookfish (Rhinochimaera pacifica) and the Carpenter ’s chimaera (Chimaera lignaria), with the elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii), a vertical migrator that lives in the mesopelagic zone but migrates to shallow water to reproduce. The two deep-sea chimaera species possess pure rod retinae with long photoreceptor outer segments that might serve to increase visual sensitivity. In contrast, the retina of the elephant shark possesses rods, with an outer-segment length significantly shorter (a mean of 34 µm) than in the deep-sea spe...
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - August 21, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
From Fossils to Function: Integrative and Taxonomically Inclusive Approaches to Vertebrate Evolutionary Neuroscience
Brain Behav Evol 2018;91:123 –124 (Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution)
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - August 10, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
The Endocranial Cavity of Oviraptorosaur Dinosaurs and the Increasingly Complex, Deep History of the Avian Brain
Unraveling the origins of the character complexes diagnosing major crown clades is one of the greatest challenges in evolutionary biology. These origination events tend to optimize along extraordinarily long stem lineages where the comparative biology of extant lineages is relatively weak in its heuristic power. Here we add to a growing paleontological literature on the evolutionary origins of the modern avi an brain by describing the endocranial casts of two oviraptorosaur dinosaurs,Citipati osmolskae andKhaan mckennai. These fossil data confirm the antiquity of several avian features, including the expanded cerebrum. The...
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - August 10, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Human Paleoneurology and the Evolution of the Parietal Cortex
This article reviews almost 20 years of my collaborations on human parietal lobe evolution, integrating functional craniology, paleoneurology, and evolutionary neuroanatomy.Brain Behav Evol 2018;91:136 –147 (Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution)
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - August 10, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Augmenting Trait-Dependent Diversification Estimations with Fossil Evidence: A Case Study Using Osmoregulatory Neurovasculature
When comparative neuromorphological studies are extended into evolutionary contexts, traits of interest are often linked to diversification patterns. Features demonstrably associated with increases in diversification rates and the infiltration or occupation of novel niche spaces are often termed “key innovations.” Within the past decade, phylogenetically informed methods have been developed to test key innovation hypotheses and evaluate the influence these traits have had in shaping modern faunas. This is primarily accomplished by estimating state-dependent speciation and extinction rat es. These methods have important...
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - August 10, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Development and Evolution of Cerebral and Cerebellar Cortex
Cerebral cortex and cerebellar cortex both vary enormously across species in their size and complexity of convolutions. We discuss the development and evolution of cortical structures in terms of anatomy and functional organization. We propose that the distinctive shapes of cerebral and cerebellar cortex can be explained by relatively few developmental processes, notably including mechanical tension along axons and dendrites. Regarding functional organization, we show how maps of myelin content in cerebral cortex are evolutionarily conserved across primates but differ in the proportion of cortex devoted to sensory, cogniti...
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - August 10, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Comparative Primate Connectomics
A connectome is a comprehensive map of neural connections of a species nervous system. While recent work has begun comparing connectomes across a wide breadth of species, we present here a more detailed and specific comparison of connectomes across the primate order. Long-range connections are thought to improve communication efficiency and thus brain function but are costly in terms of energy and space utilization. Methods for measuring connectivity in the brain include measuring white matter volume, histological cell counting, anatomical tract tracing, diffusion-weighted imaging and tractography, and functional connectiv...
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - August 10, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
The Utility of DiceCT Imaging for High-Throughput Comparative Neuroanatomical Studies
In this study, we illustrate the utility of diceCT for the rapid visualization of both external and inte rnal brain anatomy in vertebrates – alongside the intact bones of the skull and the complete, undisturbed pathways of peripheral nerves, up to and including the target organs that they innervate. We demonstrate the transformative potential of this technique for developing high-resolution neuroanat omical datasets and describe best practices for imaging large numbers of specimens for broad evolutionary studies across vertebrates.Brain Behav Evol 2018;91:180 –190 (Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution)
Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution - August 10, 2018 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
