101
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Nonverbal auditory communication - Evidence for integrated neural systems for voice signal production and perception. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 199:101948. [PMID: 33189782 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
While humans have developed a sophisticated and unique system of verbal auditory communication, they also share a more common and evolutionarily important nonverbal channel of voice signaling with many other mammalian and vertebrate species. This nonverbal communication is mediated and modulated by the acoustic properties of a voice signal, and is a powerful - yet often neglected - means of sending and perceiving socially relevant information. From the viewpoint of dyadic (involving a sender and a signal receiver) voice signal communication, we discuss the integrated neural dynamics in primate nonverbal voice signal production and perception. Most previous neurobiological models of voice communication modelled these neural dynamics from the limited perspective of either voice production or perception, largely disregarding the neural and cognitive commonalities of both functions. Taking a dyadic perspective on nonverbal communication, however, it turns out that the neural systems for voice production and perception are surprisingly similar. Based on the interdependence of both production and perception functions in communication, we first propose a re-grouping of the neural mechanisms of communication into auditory, limbic, and paramotor systems, with special consideration for a subsidiary basal-ganglia-centered system. Second, we propose that the similarity in the neural systems involved in voice signal production and perception is the result of the co-evolution of nonverbal voice production and perception systems promoted by their strong interdependence in dyadic interactions.
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102
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Molecular specializations of deep cortical layer analogs in songbirds. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18767. [PMID: 33127988 PMCID: PMC7599217 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75773-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
How the evolution of complex behavioral traits is associated with the emergence of novel brain pathways is largely unknown. Songbirds, like humans, learn vocalizations via tutor imitation and possess a specialized brain circuitry to support this behavior. In a comprehensive in situ hybridization effort, we show that the zebra finch vocal robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) shares numerous markers (e.g. SNCA, PVALB) with the adjacent dorsal intermediate arcopallium (AId), an avian analog of mammalian deep cortical layers with involvement in motor function. We also identify markers truly unique to RA and thus likely linked to modulation of vocal motor function (e.g. KCNC1, GABRE), including a subset of the known shared markers between RA and human laryngeal motor cortex (e.g. SLIT1, RTN4R, LINGO1, PLXNC1). The data provide novel insights into molecular features unique to vocal learning circuits, and lend support for the motor theory for vocal learning origin.
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103
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Delage CI, Cornil CA. Estrogen‐dependent sex difference in microglia in the developing brain of Japanese quail (
Coturnix japonica
). Dev Neurobiol 2020; 80:239-262. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Charlotte Anne Cornil
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology GIGA Neurosciences University of Liège Liège Belgium
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104
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An avian cortical circuit for chunking tutor song syllables into simple vocal-motor units. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5029. [PMID: 33024101 PMCID: PMC7538968 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18732-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
How are brain circuits constructed to achieve complex goals? The brains of young songbirds develop motor circuits that achieve the goal of imitating a specific tutor song to which they are exposed. Here, we set out to examine how song-generating circuits may be influenced early in song learning by a cortical region (NIf) at the interface between auditory and motor systems. Single-unit recordings reveal that, during juvenile babbling, NIf neurons burst at syllable onsets, with some neurons exhibiting selectivity for particular emerging syllable types. When juvenile birds listen to their tutor, NIf neurons are also activated at tutor syllable onsets, and are often selective for particular syllable types. We examine a simple computational model in which tutor exposure imprints the correct number of syllable patterns as ensembles in an interconnected NIf network. These ensembles are then reactivated during singing to train a set of syllable sequences in the motor network. Young songbirds learn to imitate their parents’ songs. Here, the authors find that, in baby birds, neurons in a brain region at the interface of auditory and motor circuits signal the onsets of song syllables during both tutoring and babbling, suggesting a specific neural mechanism for vocal imitation.
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105
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Nieder A, Wagener L, Rinnert P. A neural correlate of sensory consciousness
in a corvid bird. Science 2020; 369:1626-1629. [DOI: 10.1126/science.abb1447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Subjective experiences that can be
consciously accessed and reported are associated
with the cerebral cortex. Whether sensory
consciousness can also arise from differently
organized brains that lack a layered cerebral
cortex, such as the bird brain, remains unknown.
We show that single-neuron responses in the
pallial endbrain of crows performing a visual
detection task correlate with the birds’
perception about stimulus presence or absence and
argue that this is an empirical marker of avian
consciousness. Neuronal activity follows a
temporal two-stage process in which the first
activity component mainly reflects physical
stimulus intensity, whereas the later component
predicts the crows’ perceptual reports. These
results suggest that the neural foundations that
allow sensory consciousness arose either before
the emergence of mammals or independently in at
least the avian lineage and do not necessarily
require a cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology, Institute of
Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Auf der
Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen,
Germany
| | - Lysann Wagener
- Animal Physiology, Institute of
Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Auf der
Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen,
Germany
| | - Paul Rinnert
- Animal Physiology, Institute of
Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Auf der
Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen,
Germany
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106
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Neural basis of unfamiliar conspecific recognition in domestic chicks (Gallus Gallus domesticus). Behav Brain Res 2020; 397:112927. [PMID: 32980353 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Domestic chickens are able to distinguish familiar from unfamiliar conspecifics, however the neuronal mechanisms mediating this behaviour are almost unknown. Moreover, the lateralisation of chicks' social recognition has only been investigated at the behavioural level, but not at the neural level. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that exposure to unfamiliar conspecifics will selectively activate septum, hippocampus or nucleus taeniae of the amygdala of young domestic chicks. Moreover we also wanted to test the lateralisation of this response. For this purpose, we used the immediate early gene product c-Fos to map neural activity. Chicks were housed in pairs for one week. At test, either one of the two chicks was exchanged by an unfamiliar individual (experimental 'unfamiliar' group) or the familiar individual was briefly removed and then placed back in its original cage (control 'familiar' group). Analyses of chicks' interactions with the familiar/unfamiliar social companion revealed a higher number of social pecks directed towards unfamiliar individuals, compared to familiar controls. Moreover, in the group exposed to the unfamiliar individual a significantly higher activation was present in the dorsal and ventral septum of the left hemisphere and in the ventral hippocampus of the right hemisphere, compared to the control condition. These effects were neither present in other subareas of hippocampus or septum, nor in the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala. Our study thus indicates selective lateralised involvement of domestic chicks' septal and hippocampal subregions in responses to unfamiliar conspecific.
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107
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Cabrera-Álvarez MJ, Clayton NS. Neural Processes Underlying Tool Use in Humans, Macaques, and Corvids. Front Psychol 2020; 11:560669. [PMID: 33117228 PMCID: PMC7561402 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.560669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
It was thought that tool use in animals is an adaptive specialization. Recent studies, however, have shown that some non-tool-users, such as rooks and jays, can use and manufacture tools in laboratory settings. Despite the abundant evidence of tool use in corvids, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying tool use in this family of birds. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the neural processes underlying tool use in humans, macaques and corvids. We suggest a possible neural network for tool use in macaques and hope this might inspire research to discover a similar brain network in corvids. We hope to establish a framework to elucidate the neural mechanisms that supported the convergent evolution of tool use in birds and mammals.
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108
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Yip PK, Schmitzberger M, Al-Hasan M, George J, Tripoliti E, Michael-Titus AT, Clayton D, Priestley JV. Serotonin Expression in the Song Circuitry of Adult Male Zebra Finches. Neuroscience 2020; 444:170-182. [PMID: 32590039 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter of the brain, but its role in song control remains to be fully demonstrated. Using male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) that have song learning and production capabilities, we analysed the serotonin expression levels in the song nuclei and adjacent areas (peri-song nuclei) using immunohistochemistry. Key song nuclei were identified using combinations of Hoechst, choline acetyltransferase, and a neurofilament (NN18) marker in reference to the ZEBrA atlas. Mean serotonin expression was highest in interfacial nucleus (Nif) and lower in the other song nuclei in the following order (in order of highest first): interfacial nucleus (Nif) > Area X > dorsomedial part of the intercollicular nucelus (DM) > robust nucleus of the archistriatum (RA) > lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum (LMAN) > ventral respiratory group (VRG) > dorsolateral nucleus of the medial thalamus (DLM) > the nucleus HVC (proper name) > tracheosyringeal motor nucleus (nXIIts). However, the mean serotonin expression (in order of highest first) in the peri-song nuclei regions was: peri-DM > peri-nXIIts > supra-peri-HVC > peri-RA > peri-DLM > peri-Area X > infra-peri-HVC > peri-VRG > peri-LMAN > peri-Nif. Interestingly, serotoninergic fibers immunostained for serotonin or the serotonin transporter can be found as a basket-like peri-neuronal structure surrounding cholinergic cell bodies, and appear to form contacts onto dopaminergic neurones. In summary, serotonin fibers are present at discrete song nuclei, and peri-song nuclei regions, which suggest serotonin may have a direct and/or modulatory role in song control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping K Yip
- Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, 4 Newark St, London E1 2AT, UK.
| | - Magdalena Schmitzberger
- Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, 4 Newark St, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Mohammed Al-Hasan
- Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, 4 Newark St, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Julia George
- Queen Mary University of London, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, G.E. Fogg Building, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Elina Tripoliti
- UCL, Institute of Neurology, Department of Movement and Clinical Neurosciences, 33 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Adina T Michael-Titus
- Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, 4 Newark St, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - David Clayton
- Queen Mary University of London, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, G.E. Fogg Building, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - John V Priestley
- Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, 4 Newark St, London E1 2AT, UK
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109
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Schnell AK, Amodio P, Boeckle M, Clayton NS. How intelligent is a cephalopod? Lessons from comparative cognition. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:162-178. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Piero Amodio
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Naples Italy
| | - Markus Boeckle
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Cognitive Biology University of Vienna Vienna Austria
- Karl Landsteiner University of Health Science Krems an der Donau Austria
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110
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DeAngelis RS, Hofmann HA. Neural and molecular mechanisms underlying female mate choice decisions in vertebrates. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:223/17/jeb207324. [PMID: 32895328 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.207324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Female mate choice is a dynamic process that allows individuals to selectively mate with those of the opposite sex that display a preferred set of traits. Because in many species males compete with each other for fertilization opportunities, female mate choice can be a powerful agent of sexual selection, often resulting in highly conspicuous traits in males. Although the evolutionary causes and consequences of the ornamentation and behaviors displayed by males to attract mates have been well studied, embarrassingly little is known about the proximate neural mechanisms through which female choice occurs. In vertebrates, female mate choice is inherently a social behavior, and although much remains to be discovered about this process, recent evidence suggests the neural substrates and circuits underlying other fundamental social behaviors (such as pair bonding, aggression and parental care) are likely similarly recruited during mate choice. Notably, female mate choice is not static, as social and ecological environments can shape the brain and, consequently, behavior in specific ways. In this Review, we discuss how social and/or ecological influences mediate female choice and how this occurs within the brain. We then discuss our current understanding of the neural substrates underlying female mate choice, with a specific focus on those that also play a role in regulating other social behaviors. Finally, we propose several promising avenues for future research by highlighting novel model systems and new methodological approaches, which together will transform our understanding of the causes and consequences of female mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross S DeAngelis
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA .,Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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111
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Schubiger MN, Fichtel C, Burkart JM. Validity of Cognitive Tests for Non-human Animals: Pitfalls and Prospects. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1835. [PMID: 32982822 PMCID: PMC7488350 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparative psychology assesses cognitive abilities and capacities of non-human animals and humans. Based on performance differences and similarities in various species in cognitive tests, it is inferred how their minds work and reconstructed how cognition might have evolved. Critically, such species comparisons are only valid and meaningful if the tasks truly capture individual and inter-specific variation in cognitive abilities rather than contextual variables that might affect task performance. Unlike in human test psychology, however, cognitive tasks for non-human primates (and most other animals) have been rarely evaluated regarding their measurement validity. We review recent studies that address how non-cognitive factors affect performance in a set of commonly used cognitive tasks, and if cognitive tests truly measure individual variation in cognitive abilities. We find that individual differences in emotional and motivational factors primarily affect performance via attention. Hence, it is crucial to systematically control for attention during cognitive tasks to obtain valid and reliable results. Aspects of test design, however, can also have a substantial effect on cognitive performance. We conclude that non-cognitive factors are a minor source of measurement error if acknowledged and properly controlled for. It is essential, however, to validate and eventually re-design several primate cognition tasks in order to ascertain that they capture the cognitive abilities they were designed to measure. This will provide a more solid base for future cognitive comparisons within primates but also across a wider range of non-human animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michèle N. Schubiger
- Evolutionary Cognition Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- World Ape Fund, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus “Primate Cognition”, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Judith M. Burkart
- Evolutionary Cognition Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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112
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Hahn LA, Rose J. Working Memory as an Indicator for Comparative Cognition - Detecting Qualitative and Quantitative Differences. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1954. [PMID: 32849144 PMCID: PMC7424011 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM), the representation of information held accessible for manipulation over time, is an essential component of all higher cognitive abilities. It allows for complex behaviors that go beyond simple stimulus-response associations and inflexible behavioral patterns. WM capacity determines how many different pieces of information (items) can be used for these cognitive processes, and in humans, it correlates with fluid intelligence. As such, WM might be a useful tool for comparison of cognition across species. WM can be tested using comparatively simple behavioral protocols, based on operant conditioning, in a multitude of different species. Species-specific contextual variables that influence an animal’s performance on a non-cognitive level are controlled by adapting the WM paradigm. The neuronal mechanisms by which WM emerges in the brain, as sustained neuronal activity, are comparable between the different species studied (mammals and birds), as are the areas of the brain in which WM activity can be measured. Thus WM is comparable between vastly different species within their respective niches, accounting for specific contextual variables and unique adaptations. By approaching the question of “general cognitive abilities” or “intelligence” within the animal kingdom from the perspective of WM, the complexity of the core question at hand is reduced to a fundamental memory system required to allow for complex cognitive abilities. This article argues that measuring WM can be a suitable addition to the toolkit of comparative cognition. By measuring WM on a behavioral level and going beyond behavior to the underlying physiological processes, qualitative and quantitative differences in cognition between different animal species can be identified, free of contextual restraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Alexander Hahn
- Neural Basis of Learning, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jonas Rose
- Neural Basis of Learning, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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113
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Moaraf S, Heiblum R, Vistoropsky Y, Okuliarová M, Zeman M, Barnea A. Artificial Light at Night Increases Recruitment of New Neurons and Differentially Affects Various Brain Regions in Female Zebra Finches. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6140. [PMID: 32858878 PMCID: PMC7503983 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite growing evidence that demonstrate adverse effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) on many species, relatively little is known regarding its effects on brain plasticity in birds. We recently showed that although ALAN increases cell proliferation in brains of birds, neuronal densities in two brain regions decreased, indicating neuronal death, which might be due to mortality of newly produced neurons or of existing ones. Therefore, in the present study we studied the effect of long-term ALAN on the recruitment of newborn neurons into their target regions in the brain. Accordingly, we exposed zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) to 5 lux ALAN, and analysed new neuronal recruitment and total neuronal densities in several brain regions. We found that ALAN increased neuronal recruitment, possibly as a compensatory response to ALAN-induced neuronal death, and/or due to increased nocturnal locomotor activity caused by sleep disruption. Moreover, ALAN also had a differential temporal effect on neuronal densities, because hippocampus was more sensitive to ALAN and its neuronal densities were more affected than in other brain regions. Nocturnal melatonin levels under ALAN were significantly lower compared to controls, indicating that very low ALAN intensities suppress melatonin not only in nocturnal, but also in diurnal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stan Moaraf
- School of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Department of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana 43710, Israel; (R.H.); (Y.V.); (A.B.)
| | - Rachel Heiblum
- Department of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana 43710, Israel; (R.H.); (Y.V.); (A.B.)
| | - Yulia Vistoropsky
- Department of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana 43710, Israel; (R.H.); (Y.V.); (A.B.)
| | - Monika Okuliarová
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, 84215 Bratislava, Slovak Republic; (M.O.); (M.Z.)
| | - Michal Zeman
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, 84215 Bratislava, Slovak Republic; (M.O.); (M.Z.)
| | - Anat Barnea
- Department of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana 43710, Israel; (R.H.); (Y.V.); (A.B.)
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114
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Abstract
Comparative studies on brain asymmetry date back to the 19th century but then largely disappeared due to the assumption that lateralization is uniquely human. Since the reemergence of this field in the 1970s, we learned that left-right differences of brain and behavior exist throughout the animal kingdom and pay off in terms of sensory, cognitive, and motor efficiency. Ontogenetically, lateralization starts in many species with asymmetrical expression patterns of genes within the Nodal cascade that set up the scene for later complex interactions of genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors. These take effect during different time points of ontogeny and create asymmetries of neural networks in diverse species. As a result, depending on task demands, left- or right-hemispheric loops of feedforward or feedback projections are then activated and can temporarily dominate a neural process. In addition, asymmetries of commissural transfer can shape lateralized processes in each hemisphere. It is still unclear if interhemispheric interactions depend on an inhibition/excitation dichotomy or instead adjust the contralateral temporal neural structure to delay the other hemisphere or synchronize with it during joint action. As outlined in our review, novel animal models and approaches could be established in the last decades, and they already produced a substantial increase of knowledge. Since there is practically no realm of human perception, cognition, emotion, or action that is not affected by our lateralized neural organization, insights from these comparative studies are crucial to understand the functions and pathologies of our asymmetric brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Felix Ströckens
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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115
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Košťál Ľ, Skalná Z, Pichová K. Use of cognitive bias as a welfare tool in poultry. J Anim Sci 2020; 98:S63-S79. [PMID: 32016360 PMCID: PMC7433926 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skaa039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In human psychology, the link between cognition and emotions is broadly accepted. However, the idea of using the interaction between cognition and emotions as a tool for a better understanding of animal emotions or for welfare assessment is relatively new. The first avian species used in cognitive bias tests was the European starling followed by the domestic chicken and other species. The most frequently used paradigm is the affect-induced judgment bias. There are many variations of the judgment bias tests in birds. The test itself is preceded by discrimination training. Discrimination tasks vary from visual cue discrimination, discrimination of time intervals to spatial location discrimination. During the discrimination training, birds flip or do not flip the lids of the food dishes, and their latency to approach the cues in a straight alley maze, in a two-choice arena, or different locations in spatial judgment task arena are measured. Alternately, the birds fulfill operant tasks in a Skinner box. Before or after the discrimination training phase, birds are subjected to manipulations that are hypothesized to induce positive or negative emotional states. In the last stage, birds are subjected to judgment bias tests. The assumption is that animals in a negative affective state would more likely respond to ambiguous cues, as if they predict the negative event, than animals in a more positive state. However, the results of some avian studies are inconsistent, particularly those studying the effect of environmental enrichment. In starlings, each of the three studies has supplied conflicting results. In poultry, none of the four studies demonstrated a positive effect of environmental enrichment on emotional states. Only the study using unpredictable stressors in combination with environmental complexity showed that animals kept in a more complex environment are more optimistic. Manipulation of the social environment seems to be more effective in judgment bias induction. Conflicting results could be attributable to the design of the tests, the manner of affect induction, or the data analysis. Further optimization and validation of avian cognitive bias tests could help to avoid problems such as the loss of ambiguity. New methods of attention and memory bias testing are promising. However, regardless of the abovementioned complications, a cognitive bias paradigm is a valuable tool, which can help us better understand avian emotions and assess poultry welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ľubor Košťál
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Skalná
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Pichová
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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116
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Audet JN. Neurobiological and Ecological Correlates of Avian Innovation. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:955-966. [PMID: 32681794 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the wild, particularly in rapidly changing conditions, being capable of solving new problems can increase an animal's chances of survival and reproduction. In the current context of widespread habitat destruction and increasing urbanization, innovativeness might be a crucial trait. In the past few decades, birds have proven to be a model taxon for the study of innovation, thanks to the abundant literature on avian innovation reports. Innovation databases in birds have been successfully employed to assess associations between innovativeness and other traits such as invasion success, life history, generalism, and brain encephalization. In order to more directly assess the causes of variation in innovation, a complementary approach consists in measuring innovativeness in wild-caught animals using problem-solving tasks that mimic innovations in the field. This method can allow for finer scale evaluation of ecological and neural correlates of innovation. Here, I review some of the most important findings on the correlates of innovation, with a particular focus on neural ones. I conclude by discussing avenues for future research, which I suggest should focus on neurobiology.
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117
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Castro L, Savic O, Navarro V, Sloutsky VM, Wasserman EA. Selective and distributed attention in human and pigeon category learning. Cognition 2020; 204:104350. [PMID: 32634739 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Attention to relevant stimulus features in a categorization task helps to optimize performance. However, the relationship between attention and categorization is not fully understood. For example, even when human adults and young children exhibit comparable categorization behavior, adults tend to attend selectively during learning, whereas young children tend to attend diffusely (Deng & Sloutsky, 2016). Here, we used a comparative approach to investigate the link between attention and categorization in two different species. Given the noteworthy categorization ability of avian species, we compared the attentional profiles of pigeons and human adults. We gave human adults (Experiment 1) and pigeons (Experiment 2) a categorization task that could be learned on the basis of either one deterministic feature (encouraging selective attention) or multiple probabilistic features (encouraging distributed attention). Both humans and pigeons relied on the deterministic feature to categorize the stimuli, albeit humans did so to a much greater degree. Furthermore, computational modeling revealed that most of the adults exhibited maximal selectivity, whereas pigeons tended to distribute their attention among several features. Our findings indicate that human adults focus their attention on deterministic information and filter less predictive information, but pigeons do not. Implications for the underlying brain mechanisms of attention and categorization are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyre Castro
- The University of Iowa, United States of America.
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118
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Pepperberg IM. The Comparative Psychology of Intelligence: Some Thirty Years Later. Front Psychol 2020; 11:973. [PMID: 32508723 PMCID: PMC7248277 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
After re-reading Macphail's (1987) essay "The Comparative Psychology of Intelligence" with all the associated commentaries, I was struck by how contemporary many of the arguments and counter-arguments still appear. Of course, we now know much more about the abilities of many more species (including their neurobiology) and fewer researchers currently favor explanations of behavior based solely on associative processes; however, the role of contextual variables in comparative psychology still remains cloudy. I discuss these issues briefly. Given my research interests involving the cognitive and communicative abilities of Grey parrots, the one aspect of the original article upon which I feel I can comment in depth involves Macphail's claims about the importance of language-and specifically syntax-in problem-solving and thus in placing humans above all other creatures. Granted, no other species has (or in my opinion is likely ever to acquire) everything that goes into what is considered "human language." Nevertheless, several other species have acquired symbolic representation, and considerable information now exists upon which to base an argument that such acquisition by itself enables more complex and "human-like" cognitive processes. Such processes may form the basis of the kind of intelligence that is measured-not surprisingly-with human-based tasks, including the use of such representations as a means to directly query non-human subjects in ways not unlike those used with young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene M Pepperberg
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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119
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van der Meij J, Ungurean G, Rattenborg NC, Beckers GJL. Evolution of sleep in relation to memory – a birds’ brain view. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2019.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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120
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Age and Species Comparisons of Visual Mental Manipulation Ability as Evidence for its Development and Evolution. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7689. [PMID: 32376944 PMCID: PMC7203154 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64666-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Intelligent behavior is shaped by the abilities to store and manipulate information in visual working memory. Although humans and various non-human animals demonstrate similar storage capacities, the evolution of manipulation ability remains relatively unspecified. To what extent are manipulation limits unique to humans versus shared across species? Here, we compare behavioral signatures of manipulation ability demonstrated by human adults and 6-to-8-year-old children with that of an animal separated from humans by over 300 million years of evolution: a Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus). All groups of participants completed a variant of the “Shell Game”, which required mentally updating the locations of varying set sizes of occluded objects that swapped places a number of times. The parrot not only demonstrated above-chance performance, but also outperformed children across all conditions. Indeed, the parrot’s accuracy was comparable to (and slightly better than) human adults’ over 12/14 set-size/number-of-swaps combinations, until four items were manipulated with 3–4 swaps, where performance decreased toward that of 6- to 8-year-olds. These results suggest that manipulation of visual working memory representations is an evolutionarily ancient ability. An important next step in this research program is establishing variability across species, and identifying the evolutionary origins (analogous or homologous) of manipulation mechanisms.
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121
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Morandi-Raikova A, Mayer U. The effect of monocular occlusion on hippocampal c-Fos expression in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Sci Rep 2020; 10:7205. [PMID: 32350337 PMCID: PMC7190859 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64224-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In birds, like in mammals, the hippocampus is particularly sensitive to exposure to novel environments, a function that is based on visual input. Chicks' eyes are placed laterally and their optic fibers project mainly to the contralateral brain hemispheres, with only little direct interhemispheric coupling. Thus, monocular occlusion has been frequently used in chicks to document functional specialization of the two hemispheres. However, we do not know whether monocular occlusion influences hippocampal activation. The aim of the present work was to fill this gap by directly testing this hypothesis. To induce hippocampal activation, chicks were exposed to a novel environment with their left or right eye occluded, or in conditions of binocular vision. Their hippocampal expression of c-Fos (neural activity marker) was compared to a baseline group that remained in a familiar environment. Interestingly, while the hippocampal activation in the two monocular groups was not different from the baseline, it was significantly higher in the binocular group exposed to the novel environment. This suggest that the representation of environmental novelty in the hippocampus of domestic chicks involves strong binocular integration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Uwe Mayer
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
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122
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Cárdenas A, Borrell V. Molecular and cellular evolution of corticogenesis in amniotes. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:1435-1460. [PMID: 31563997 PMCID: PMC11104948 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03315-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex varies dramatically in size and complexity between amniotes due to differences in neuron number and composition. These differences emerge during embryonic development as a result of variations in neurogenesis, which are thought to recapitulate modifications occurred during evolution that culminated in the human neocortex. Here, we review work from the last few decades leading to our current understanding of the evolution of neurogenesis and size of the cerebral cortex. Focused on specific examples across vertebrate and amniote phylogeny, we discuss developmental mechanisms regulating the emergence, lineage, complexification and fate of cortical germinal layers and progenitor cell types. At the cellular level, we discuss the fundamental impact of basal progenitor cells and the advent of indirect neurogenesis on the increased number and diversity of cortical neurons and layers in mammals, and on cortex folding. Finally, we discuss recent work that unveils genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying this progressive expansion and increased complexity of the amniote cerebral cortex during evolution, with a particular focus on those leading to human-specific features. Whereas new genes important in human brain development emerged the recent hominid lineage, regulation of the patterns and levels of activity of highly conserved signaling pathways are beginning to emerge as mechanisms of central importance in the evolutionary increase in cortical size and complexity across amniotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Cárdenas
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas y Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Víctor Borrell
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas y Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain.
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123
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Wood JN, Wood SMW. One-shot learning of view-invariant object representations in newborn chicks. Cognition 2020; 199:104192. [PMID: 32199170 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Can newborn brains perform one-shot learning? To address this question, we reared newborn chicks in strictly controlled environments containing a single view of a single object, then tested their object recognition performance across 24 uniformly-spaced viewpoints. We found that chicks can build view-invariant object representations from a single view of an object: a case of one-shot learning in newborn brains. Chicks can also build the same view-invariant object representation from different views of an object, showing that newborn brains converge on common object representations from different sets of sensory inputs. Finally, by rearing chicks with larger numbers of object views, we found that chicks develop enhanced recognition for familiar views. These results illuminate the earliest stages of object recognition, revealing (1) powerful one-shot learning that builds invariant object representations from the first views of an object and (2) view-based learning that enriches object representations, producing enhanced recognition for familiar views.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin N Wood
- Indiana University, Department of Informatics, 700 N Woodlawn Ave., Bloomington, IN 47408, United States of America.
| | - Samantha M W Wood
- Indiana University, Department of Informatics, 700 N Woodlawn Ave., Bloomington, IN 47408, United States of America.
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124
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Zhou H, Wang X, Lin J, Zhao Z, Chang C. Distribution of Cadherin in the Parahippocampal Area of Developing Domestic Chicken Embryos. Exp Neurobiol 2020; 29:11-26. [PMID: 32122105 PMCID: PMC7075654 DOI: 10.5607/en.2020.29.1.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal formation is important in spatial learning and memory. Members of the cadherin superfamily are observed in the neural system with diverse spatial and temporal expression patterns and are involved in many biological processes. To date, the avian hippocampal formation is not well understood. In this study, we examined the expression of cadherin mRNA in chicken and mouse brains to investigate the morphological and cytoarchitectural bases of hippocampal formation. Profiles of the spatiotemporal expression of cadherin mRNAs in the developing chicken embryonic parahippocampal area (APH) are provided, and layer-specific expression and spatiotemporal expression were observed in different subdivisions of the APH. That fact that some cadherins (Cdh2, Cdh8, Pcdh8 and Pcdh10) showed conserved regional expression both in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex of mice and the hippocampal formation of chickens partially confirmed the structural homology proposed by previous scientists. This study indicates that some cadherins can be used as special markers of the avian hippocampal formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, ZhengZhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, China.,Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Goethe-University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main 60596, Germany
| | - XiaoFan Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, ZhengZhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - JunTang Lin
- Henan Joint International Research Laboratory of Stem Cell Medicine, College of Biomedical Engineering, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453000, China
| | - Ze Zhao
- School of Law, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai 200000, China
| | - Cheng Chang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, ZhengZhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, China.,Birth Defect Prevention Key Laboratory, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, Zhengzhou 450000, China.,Center of Cerebral Palsy Surgical Research and Treatment, ZhengZhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, China
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125
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Lovell PV, Wirthlin M, Kaser T, Buckner AA, Carleton JB, Snider BR, McHugh AK, Tolpygo A, Mitra PP, Mello CV. ZEBrA: Zebra finch Expression Brain Atlas-A resource for comparative molecular neuroanatomy and brain evolution studies. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:2099-2131. [PMID: 32037563 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
An in-depth understanding of the genetics and evolution of brain function and behavior requires a detailed mapping of gene expression in functional brain circuits across major vertebrate clades. Here we present the Zebra finch Expression Brain Atlas (ZEBrA; www.zebrafinchatlas.org, RRID: SCR_012988), a web-based resource that maps the expression of genes linked to a broad range of functions onto the brain of zebra finches. ZEBrA is a first of its kind gene expression brain atlas for a bird species and a first for any sauropsid. ZEBrA's >3,200 high-resolution digital images of in situ hybridized sections for ~650 genes (as of June 2019) are presented in alignment with an annotated histological atlas and can be browsed down to cellular resolution. An extensive relational database connects expression patterns to information about gene function, mouse expression patterns and phenotypes, and gene involvement in human diseases and communication disorders. By enabling brain-wide gene expression assessments in a bird, ZEBrA provides important substrates for comparative neuroanatomy and molecular brain evolution studies. ZEBrA also provides unique opportunities for linking genetic pathways to vocal learning and motor control circuits, as well as for novel insights into the molecular basis of sex steroids actions, brain dimorphisms, reproductive and social behaviors, sleep function, and adult neurogenesis, among many fundamental themes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter V Lovell
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Morgan Wirthlin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Taylor Kaser
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Alexa A Buckner
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Julia B Carleton
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Brian R Snider
- Center for Spoken Language Understanding, Institute on Development and Disability, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Anne K McHugh
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | | | - Partha P Mitra
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York
| | - Claudio V Mello
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
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126
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Arold ST. Intrinsic negative feedback as a limiting factor for the evolution of higher forms of intelligence. F1000Res 2020; 9:34. [PMID: 34504689 PMCID: PMC8408545 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.22039.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Longstanding scientific efforts have been dedicated to answer why and how our particular intelligence is generated by our brain but not by the brain of other species. However, surprisingly little effort has been made to ask why no other species ever developed an intelligence similar to ours. Here, I explore this question based on genetic and paleontologic evidence. Contrary to the established view, this review suggests that the developmental hurdles alone are not high enough to explain the uniqueness of human intelligence (HI). As an additional explanation I propose that HI is normally not retained by natural selection, because it is, under most conditions, an intrinsically unfavourable trait. This unfavourableness, however, cannot be explained by physical constraints alone; rather, it may also be rooted in the same emotional and social complexity that is necessary for the development of HI. Thus, a major obstacle towards HI may not be solely the development of the required physical assets, but also to cope with harmful individual, social and environmental feedback intrinsically associated with this trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan T Arold
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, MK, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.,Centre de Biologie Structurale, CNRS, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
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127
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New Insights into the Avian Song System and Neuronal Control of Learned Vocalizations. THE NEUROETHOLOGY OF BIRDSONG 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-34683-6_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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128
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Fujita T, Aoki N, Fujita E, Matsushima T, Homma KJ, Yamaguchi S. The chick pallium displays divergent expression patterns of chick orthologues of mammalian neocortical deep layer-specific genes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:20400. [PMID: 31892722 PMCID: PMC6938507 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56960-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The avian pallium is organised into clusters of neurons and does not have layered structures such as those seen in the mammalian neocortex. The evolutionary relationship between sub-regions of avian pallium and layers of mammalian neocortex remains unclear. One hypothesis, based on the similarities in neural connections of the motor output neurons that project to sub-pallial targets, proposed the cell-type homology between brainstem projection neurons in neocortex layers 5 or 6 (L5/6) and those in the avian arcopallium. Recent studies have suggested that gene expression patterns are associated with neural connection patterns, which supports the cell-type homology hypothesis. However, a limited number of genes were used in these studies. Here, we showed that chick orthologues of mammalian L5/6-specific genes, nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 2 and connective tissue growth factor, were strongly expressed in the arcopallium. However, other chick orthologues of L5/6-specific genes were primarily expressed in regions other than the arcopallium. Our results do not fully support the cell-type homology hypothesis. This suggests that the cell types of brainstem projection neurons are not conserved between the avian arcopallium and the mammalian neocortex L5/6. Our findings may help understand the evolution of pallium between birds and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiyuki Fujita
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Life and Health Sciences, Teikyo University, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8605, Japan
| | - Naoya Aoki
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Life and Health Sciences, Teikyo University, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8605, Japan
| | - Eiko Fujita
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Life and Health Sciences, Teikyo University, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8605, Japan
| | - Toshiya Matsushima
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Koichi J Homma
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Life and Health Sciences, Teikyo University, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8605, Japan
| | - Shinji Yamaguchi
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Life and Health Sciences, Teikyo University, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8605, Japan.
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129
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van der Meij J, Martinez-Gonzalez D, Beckers GJL, Rattenborg NC. Intra-"cortical" activity during avian non-REM and REM sleep: variant and invariant traits between birds and mammals. Sleep 2019; 42:5195213. [PMID: 30462347 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsy230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Several mammalian-based theories propose that the varying patterns of neuronal activity occurring in wakefulness and sleep reflect different modes of information processing. Neocortical slow-waves, hippocampal sharp-wave ripples, and thalamocortical spindles occurring during mammalian non-rapid eye-movement (NREM) sleep are proposed to play a role in systems-level memory consolidation. Birds show similar NREM and REM (rapid eye-movement) sleep stages to mammals; however, it is unclear whether all neurophysiological rhythms implicated in mammalian memory consolidation are also present. Moreover, it is unknown whether the propagation of slow-waves described in the mammalian neocortex occurs in the avian "cortex" during natural NREM sleep. We used a 32-channel silicon probe connected to a transmitter to make intracerebral recordings of the visual hyperpallium and thalamus in naturally sleeping pigeons (Columba livia). As in the mammalian neocortex, slow-waves during NREM sleep propagated through the hyperpallium. Propagation primarily occurred in the thalamic input layers of the hyperpallium, regions that also showed the greatest slow-wave activity (SWA). Spindles were not detected in both the visual hyperpallium, including regions receiving thalamic input, and thalamus, using a recording method that readily detects spindles in mammals. Interestingly, during REM sleep fast gamma bursts in the hyperpallium (when present) were restricted to the thalamic input layers. In addition, unlike mice, the decrease in SWA from NREM to REM sleep was the greatest in these layers. Taken together, these variant and invariant neurophysiological aspects of avian and mammalian sleep suggest that there may be associated mechanistic and functional similarities and differences between avian and mammalian sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline van der Meij
- Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Dolores Martinez-Gonzalez
- Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Gabriël J L Beckers
- Cognitive Neurobiology and Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Yalelaan, CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Niels C Rattenborg
- Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, Seewiesen, Germany
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130
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Groden M, Weigand M, Triesch J, Jedlicka P, Cuntz H. A Model of Brain Folding Based on Strong Local and Weak Long-Range Connectivity Requirements. Cereb Cortex 2019; 30:2434-2451. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Throughout the animal kingdom, the structure of the central nervous system varies widely from distributed ganglia in worms to compact brains with varying degrees of folding in mammals. The differences in structure may indicate a fundamentally different circuit organization. However, the folded brain most likely is a direct result of mechanical forces when considering that a larger surface area of cortex packs into the restricted volume provided by the skull. Here, we introduce a computational model that instead of modeling mechanical forces relies on dimension reduction methods to place neurons according to specific connectivity requirements. For a simplified connectivity with strong local and weak long-range connections, our model predicts a transition from separate ganglia through smooth brain structures to heavily folded brains as the number of cortical columns increases. The model reproduces experimentally determined relationships between metrics of cortical folding and its pathological phenotypes in lissencephaly, polymicrogyria, microcephaly, autism, and schizophrenia. This suggests that mechanical forces that are known to lead to cortical folding may synergistically contribute to arrangements that reduce wiring. Our model provides a unified conceptual understanding of gyrification linking cellular connectivity and macroscopic structures in large-scale neural network models of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Groden
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt am Main D-60528, Germany
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), Frankfurt am Main D-60438, Germany
- ICAR3R—Interdisciplinary Centre for 3Rs in Animal Research, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen D-35390, Germany
| | - Marvin Weigand
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt am Main D-60528, Germany
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), Frankfurt am Main D-60438, Germany
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main D-60438, Germany
| | - Jochen Triesch
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), Frankfurt am Main D-60438, Germany
- Faculty of Physics, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main D-60438, Germany
- Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main D-60438, Germany
| | - Peter Jedlicka
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), Frankfurt am Main D-60438, Germany
- ICAR3R—Interdisciplinary Centre for 3Rs in Animal Research, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen D-35390, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main D-60528, Germany
| | - Hermann Cuntz
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt am Main D-60528, Germany
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), Frankfurt am Main D-60438, Germany
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131
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Pathophysiology of Concussive Non-Penetrative Captive Bolt Stunning of Turkeys. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9121049. [PMID: 31795487 PMCID: PMC6940817 DOI: 10.3390/ani9121049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary For routine slaughter, animals are rendered unconscious prior to the act of slaughter in order to prevent pain and distress. The electrical stunning methods generally used by small-scale seasonal turkey producers can be ineffective in inducing unconsciousness. An alternative method is non-penetrating captive bolt stunning (NPCB) which involves the firing of a mushroom shaped metal rod against the head to induce concussion and unconsciousness. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two models of NPCB guns for inducing unconsciousness in turkeys. Effectiveness was assessed with behavioural responses and the level of induced brain damage. Both NPCB guns used in this study were effective in inducing unconsciousness as assessed with behavioural responses. There was extensive damage throughout all regions of the brain. These results support the use of NPCB stunning as an effective stunning method for commercial slaughter of turkeys when used correctly. Abstract The non-penetrative captive bolt (NPCB) has been proposed as a more humane and practical alternative to constant voltage electrical stunning for small-scale seasonal turkey producers. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the CASH® Small Animal Tool (SAT) (formerly known as the CASH® Poultry Killer, CPK) and three configurations of the Turkey Euthanasia Device (TED), assessing behavioural, cranial/spinal responses and brain pathology. Immediately after stunning all birds showed cessation of rhythmic breathing and loss of neck and beak tension. One bird shot with the TED/hen configuration showed a positive nictitating membrane reflex in one eye with no other positive reflexes. All birds had moderate/severe gross damage to the hyperpallium layer over the cerebrums. For almost all other cerebrum structures, thalamus, and hindbrain, the TED/poult configuration and SAT produced the most extensive damage. The frequency of petechial haemorrhage in the pons and medulla was less in SAT shot birds (76% and 71% respectively) compared to those shot with the different configurations of the TED (ranging from 81% to 100%), however this difference was not significant. In conclusion, both NPCB guns were effective in inducing unconsciousness in turkeys, regardless of the variations in shot position and the different configurations of the TED.
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132
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Fishbein AR, Idsardi WJ, Ball GF, Dooling RJ. Sound sequences in birdsong: how much do birds really care? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 375:20190044. [PMID: 31735149 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex and melodic nature of many birds' songs has raised interest in potential parallels between avian vocal sequences and human speech. The similarities between birdsong and speech in production and learning are well established, but surprisingly little is known about how birds perceive song sequences. One popular laboratory songbird, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), has recently attracted attention as an avian model for human speech, in part because the male learns to produce the individual elements in its song motif in a fixed sequence. But psychoacoustic evidence shows that adult zebra finches are relatively insensitive to the sequential features of song syllables. Instead, zebra finches and other birds seem to be exquisitely sensitive to the acoustic details of individual syllables to a degree that is beyond human hearing capacity. Based on these findings, we present a finite-state model of zebra finch perception of song syllable sequences and discuss the rich informational capacity of their vocal system. Furthermore, we highlight the abilities of budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), a parrot species, to hear sequential features better than zebra finches and suggest that neurophysiological investigations comparing these species could prove fruitful for uncovering neural mechanisms for auditory sequence perception in human speech. This article is part of the theme issue 'What can animal communication teach us about human language?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Fishbein
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - William J Idsardi
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Linguistics Department, University of Maryland, 1401 Marie Mount Hall, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Robert J Dooling
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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133
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Wood SM, Wood JN. Using automation to combat the replication crisis: A case study from controlled-rearing studies of newborn chicks. Infant Behav Dev 2019; 57:101329. [DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.101329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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134
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Huang CC, Chen YY, Fang YT, Chen YC, Hung CM. Generating brain matrices for zebra finch brain sectioning using three-dimensional printing technology. J Neurosci Methods 2019; 327:108399. [PMID: 31425722 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The demand to sample brain regions in non-model species is increasing as more studies are integrating neurological data into behavioural, ecological or evolutionary analysis. However, the sampling operation is difficult for researchers without neuroscience background. It is also a challenge to collect neuroanatomical regions from animals in the field. NEW METHOD Here we developed a new brain matrix for guiding researchers to section zebra finches' (Taeniopygia guttata) brains more steadily than by freehand trimming. Based on the 3D printing technology, we produced the zebra finch brain matrix from scratch. We also provided a step-by-step protocol to make brain matrices for any species with a brain size between that of shrews and dogs. RESULTS The brain matrix could guide us to find the zebra finch's neuroanatomical landmarks, such as the hypothalamus, optic chiasm and occulomotor nerve. The matrix's channels near these landmarks could be used to section brains steadily and rapidly. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Standardized brain sectioning often requires expensive machines that may not be available in most laboratories or in the field, such as microtomes. In addition, machine-based trimming is time-consuming. Although commercial brain matrices can overcome these problems, they are only available for rats and mice. The brain matrices we developed are affordable to most laboratories and can be customised for non-model species in both lab and field experiments. CONCLUSIONS The matrix-guided approach requires a relatively short training period and can allow researchers to properly and quickly sample brains, and thus will facilitate neuroscience-based interdisciplinary research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yi-Ying Chen
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ting Fang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chi Chen
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ming Hung
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
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135
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Fernández M, Morales C, Durán E, Fernández‐Colleman S, Sentis E, Mpodozis J, Karten HJ, Marín GJ. Parallel organization of the avian sensorimotor arcopallium: Tectofugal visual pathway in the pigeon (
Columba livia
). J Comp Neurol 2019; 528:597-623. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Máximo Fernández
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Cristian Morales
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Ernesto Durán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de Chile Santiago Chile
| | | | - Elisa Sentis
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Jorge Mpodozis
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Harvey J. Karten
- Department of Neurosciences, School of MedicineUniversity of California San Diego California
| | - Gonzalo J. Marín
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de Chile Santiago Chile
- Facultad de MedicinaUniversidad Finis Terrae Santiago Chile
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136
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Chen HI, Wolf JA, Blue R, Song MM, Moreno JD, Ming GL, Song H. Transplantation of Human Brain Organoids: Revisiting the Science and Ethics of Brain Chimeras. Cell Stem Cell 2019; 25:462-472. [PMID: 31585092 PMCID: PMC7180006 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2019.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent demonstrations of human brain organoid transplantation in rodents have accentuated ethical concerns associated with these entities, especially as they relate to potential "humanization" of host animals. Consideration of established scientific principles can help define the realistic range of expected outcomes in such transplantation studies. This practical approach suggests that augmentation of discrete brain functions in transplant hosts is a more relevant ethical question in the near term than the possibility of "conscious" chimeric animals. We hope that this framework contributes to a balanced approach for proceeding with studies involving brain organoid transplantation and other forms of human-animal brain chimeras.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Isaac Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - John A Wolf
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rachel Blue
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Mingyan Maggie Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jonathan D Moreno
- Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hongjun Song
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; The Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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137
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Fellow travellers in cognitive evolution: Co-evolution of working memory and mental time travel? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 105:94-105. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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138
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Belekhova MG, Kenigfest NB, Vasilyev DS, Chudinova TV. Distribution of Calcium-Binding Proteins and Cytochrome Oxidase Activity in the Projective Zone (Wulst) of the Pigeon Thalamofugal Visual Pathway: A Discussion in the Light of Current Concepts on Homology between the Avian Wulst and the Mammalian Striate (Visual) Cortex. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093019040070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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139
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Pessoa L, Medina L, Hof PR, Desfilis E. Neural architecture of the vertebrate brain: implications for the interaction between emotion and cognition. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:296-312. [PMID: 31541638 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Cognition is considered a hallmark of the primate brain that requires a high degree of signal integration, such as achieved in the prefrontal cortex. Moreover, it is often assumed that cognitive capabilities imply "superior" computational mechanisms compared to those involved in emotion or motivation. In contrast to these ideas, we review data on the neural architecture across vertebrates that support the concept that association and integration are basic features of the vertebrate brain, which are needed to successfully adapt to a changing world. This property is not restricted to a few isolated brain centers, but rather resides in neuronal networks working collectively in a context-dependent manner. In different vertebrates, we identify shared large-scale connectional systems involving the midbrain, hypothalamus, thalamus, basal ganglia, and amygdala. The high degree of crosstalk and association between these systems at different levels supports the notion that cognition, emotion, and motivation cannot be separated - all of them involve a high degree of signal integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Pessoa
- Department of Psychology, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Loreta Medina
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida, Lleida Institute for Biomedical Research Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), 25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ester Desfilis
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida, Lleida Institute for Biomedical Research Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), 25198 Lleida, Spain
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140
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Volitional control of vocalizations in corvid songbirds. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000375. [PMID: 31454343 PMCID: PMC6711494 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Songbirds are renowned for their acoustically elaborate songs. However, it is unclear whether songbirds can cognitively control their vocal output. Here, we show that crows, songbirds of the corvid family, can be trained to exert control over their vocalizations. In a detection task, three male carrion crows rapidly learned to emit vocalizations in response to a visual cue with no inherent meaning (go trials) and to withhold vocalizations in response to another cue (catch trials). Two of these crows were then trained on a go/nogo task, with the cue colors reversed, in addition to being rewarded for withholding vocalizations to yet another cue (nogo trials). Vocalizations in response to the detection of the go cue were temporally precise and highly reliable in all three crows. Crows also quickly learned to withhold vocal output in nogo trials, showing that vocalizations were not produced by an anticipation of a food reward in correct trials. The results demonstrate that corvids can volitionally control the release and onset of their vocalizations, suggesting that songbird vocalizations are under cognitive control and can be decoupled from affective states. Songbirds are renowned for their acoustically elaborate songs, but it is unclear whether they have cognitive control over their vocal output. Using operant conditioning, this study shows that carrion crows, songbirds of the corvid family, can exert control over their vocalizations.
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141
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Hemberger M, Shein-Idelson M, Pammer L, Laurent G. Reliable Sequential Activation of Neural Assemblies by Single Pyramidal Cells in a Three-Layered Cortex. Neuron 2019; 104:353-369.e5. [PMID: 31439429 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies reveal the occasional impact of single neurons on surround firing statistics and even simple behaviors. Exploiting the advantages of a simple cortex, we examined the influence of single pyramidal neurons on surrounding cortical circuits. Brief activation of single neurons triggered reliable sequences of firing in tens of other excitatory and inhibitory cortical neurons, reflecting cascading activity through local networks, as indicated by delayed yet precisely timed polysynaptic subthreshold potentials. The evoked patterns were specific to the pyramidal cell of origin, extended over hundreds of micrometers from their source, and unfolded over up to 200 ms. Simultaneous activation of pyramidal cell pairs indicated balanced control of population activity, preventing paroxysmal amplification. Single cortical pyramidal neurons can thus trigger reliable postsynaptic activity that can propagate in a reliable fashion through cortex, generating rapidly evolving and non-random firing sequences reminiscent of those observed in mammalian hippocampus during "replay" and in avian song circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike Hemberger
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt am Main, 60438 Germany
| | - Mark Shein-Idelson
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt am Main, 60438 Germany; Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Sagol School for Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lorenz Pammer
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt am Main, 60438 Germany
| | - Gilles Laurent
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt am Main, 60438 Germany.
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142
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Finlay B. Generic Homo sapiens and Unique Mus musculus: Establishing the Typicality of the Modeled and the Model Species. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2019; 93:122-136. [DOI: 10.1159/000500111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The question of how complex human abilities evolved, such as language or face recognition, has been pursued by means of multiple strategies. Highly specialized non-human species have been examined analytically for formal similarities, close phylogenetic relatives have been examined for continuity, and simpler species have been analyzed for the broadest view of functional organization. All these strategies require empirical evidence of what is variable and predictable in both the modeled and the model species. Turning to humans, allometric analyses of the evolution of brain mass and brain components often return the interesting, but disappointing answer that volumetric organization of the human brain is highly predictable seen in its phylogenetic context. Reconciling this insight with unique human behavior, or any species-typical behavior, represents a serious challenge. Allometric analyses of the order and duration of mammalian neural development show that, while basic neural development in humans is allometrically predictable, conforming to adult neural architecture, some life history features deviate, notably that weaning is unusually early. Finally, unusual deviations in the retina and central auditory system in the laboratory mouse, which is widely assumed to be “generic,” as well as severe deviations from expected brain allometry in some mouse strains, underline the need for a deeper understanding of phylogenetic variability even in those systems believed to be best understood.
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143
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Gawel K, Banono NS, Michalak A, Esguerra CV. A critical review of zebrafish schizophrenia models: Time for validation? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:6-22. [PMID: 31381931 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects 1% of the population worldwide and is manifested as a broad spectrum of symptoms, from hallucinations to memory impairment. It is believed that genetic and/or environmental factors may contribute to the occurrence of this disease. Recently, the zebrafish has emerged as a valuable and attractive model for various neurological disorders including schizophrenia. In this review, we describe current pharmacological models of schizophrenia with special emphasis on providing insights into the pros and cons of using zebrafish as a behavioural model of this disease. Moreover, we highlight the advantages and utility of using zebrafish for elucidating the genetic mechanisms underlying this psychiatric disorder. We believe that the zebrafish has high potential also in the area of precision medicine and may complement the development of therapeutics, especially for pharmacoresistant patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Gawel
- Chemical Neuroscience Group, Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, University of Oslo, Gaustadalléen 21, 0349, Oslo, Norway; Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego St. 8b, 20-090, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Nancy Saana Banono
- Chemical Neuroscience Group, Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, University of Oslo, Gaustadalléen 21, 0349, Oslo, Norway
| | - Agnieszka Michalak
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki St. 4A, 20-093, Lublin, Poland
| | - Camila V Esguerra
- Chemical Neuroscience Group, Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, University of Oslo, Gaustadalléen 21, 0349, Oslo, Norway; Department of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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144
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Neuronal Correlates of Spatial Working Memory in the Endbrain of Crows. Curr Biol 2019; 29:2616-2624.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.06.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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145
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Medina L, Abellán A, Desfilis E. Evolution of Pallial Areas and Networks Involved in Sociality: Comparison Between Mammals and Sauropsids. Front Physiol 2019; 10:894. [PMID: 31354528 PMCID: PMC6640085 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds are extremely interesting animals for studying the neurobiological basis of cognition and its evolution. They include species that are highly social and show high cognitive capabilities. Moreover, birds rely more on visual and auditory cues than on olfaction for social behavior and cognition, just like primates. In primates, there are two major brain networks associated to sociality: (1) one related to perception and decision-making, involving the pallial amygdala (with the basolateral complex as a major component), the temporal and temporoparietal neocortex, and the orbitofrontal cortex; (2) another one related to affiliation, including the medial extended amygdala, the ventromedial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, the ventromedial striatum (largely nucleus accumbens), and the ventromedial hypothalamus. In this account, we used an evolutionary developmental neurobiology approach, in combination with published comparative connectivity and functional data, to identify areas and functional networks in the sauropsidian brain comparable to those of mammals that are related to decision-making and affiliation. Both in mammals and sauropsids, there is an important interaction between these networks by way of cross projections between areas of both systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreta Medina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida - Fundació Dr. Pifarré (IRBLleida), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Antonio Abellán
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida - Fundació Dr. Pifarré (IRBLleida), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Ester Desfilis
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida - Fundació Dr. Pifarré (IRBLleida), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
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146
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Prabhat A, Jha NA, Taufique SKT, Kumar V. Dissociation of circadian activity and singing behavior from gene expression rhythms in the hypothalamus, song control nuclei and cerebellum in diurnal zebra finches. Chronobiol Int 2019; 36:1268-1284. [DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2019.1637887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Vinod Kumar
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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147
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Selective response of the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala to a naturalistic social stimulus in visually naive domestic chicks. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9849. [PMID: 31285532 PMCID: PMC6614359 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46322-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The detection of animate beings at the onset of life is important for phylogenetically distant species, such as birds and primates. Naïve chicks preferentially approach a stimulus resembling a conspecific (a stuffed fowl) over a less naturalistic one (a scrambled version of the stuffed fowl, presenting the same low-level visual features as the fowl in an unnatural configuration). The neuronal mechanisms underlying this behavior are mostly unknown. However, it has been hypothesized that innate social predispositions may involve subpallial brain areas including the amygdala. Here we asked whether a stuffed hen would activate areas of the arcopallium/amygdala complex, in particular the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala (TnA) or septum. We measured brain activity by visualizing the immediate early gene product c-Fos. After exposure to the hen, TnA showed higher density of c-Fos expressing neurons, compared to chicks that were exposed to the scrambled stimulus. A similar trend was present in the lower portion of the arcopallium, but not in the upper portion of the arcopallium or in the septum. This demonstrates that at birth the TnA is already engaged in responses to social visual stimuli, suggesting an important role for this nucleus in the early ontogenetic development of social behavior.
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148
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Roth TC, Krochmal AR, LaDage LD. Reptilian Cognition: A More Complex Picture via Integration of Neurological Mechanisms, Behavioral Constraints, and Evolutionary Context. Bioessays 2019; 41:e1900033. [PMID: 31210380 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Unlike birds and mammals, reptiles are commonly thought to possess only the most rudimentary means of interacting with their environments, reflexively responding to sensory information to the near exclusion of higher cognitive function. However, reptilian brains, though structurally somewhat different from those of mammals and birds, use many of the same cellular and molecular processes to support complex behaviors in homologous brain regions. Here, the neurological mechanisms supporting reptilian cognition are reviewed, focusing specifically on spatial cognition and the hippocampus. These processes are compared to those seen in mammals and birds within an ecologically and evolutionarily relevant context. By viewing reptilian cognition through an integrative framework, a more robust understanding of reptile cognition is gleaned. Doing so yields a broader view of the evolutionarily conserved molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie cognitive function and a better understanding of the factors that led to the evolution of complex cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C Roth
- Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, P.O. Box 3003, Lancaster, PA, 17603, USA
| | - Aaron R Krochmal
- Department of Biology, Washington College, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD, 21620, USA
| | - Lara D LaDage
- Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Penn State University Altoona, Altoona, PA, 16601, USA
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149
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Tramacere A, Wada K, Okanoya K, Iriki A, Ferrari PF. Auditory-Motor Matching in Vocal Recognition and Imitative Learning. Neuroscience 2019; 409:222-234. [PMID: 30742962 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.01.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Songbirds possess mirror neurons (MNs) activating during the perception and execution of specific features of songs. These neurons are located in high vocal center (HVC), a premotor nucleus implicated in song perception, production and learning, making worth to inquire their properties and functions in vocal recognition and imitative learning. By integrating a body of brain and behavioral data, we discuss neurophysiology, anatomical, computational properties and possible functions of songbird MNs. We state that the neurophysiological properties of songbird MNs depends on sensorimotor regions that are outside the auditory neural system. Interestingly, songbirds MNs can be the result of the specific type of song representation possessed by some songbird species. At the functional level, we discuss whether songbird MNs are involved in others' song recognition, by dissecting the function of recognition in various different but possible overlapping processes: action-oriented perception, discriminative-oriented perception and identification of the signaler. We conclude that songbird MNs may be involved in recognizing other singer's vocalizations, while their role in imitative learning still require to solve how auditory feedback are used to correct own vocal performance to match the tutor song. Finally, we compare songbird and human mirror responses, hypothesizing a case of convergent evolution, and proposing new experimental directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Tramacere
- Max Planck for the Science of Human History, DLCE Department, Jena, Kahlaische Str 10, 07745, Germany.
| | - Kazuhiro Wada
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-10 Nishi-8 Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 153-8902 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Iriki
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 351-0106 Saitama Prefecture, Wako, Hirosawa, Japan
| | - Pier F Ferrari
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, via Volturno, 43125, Italy; Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jannerod, CNRS/Universite' Claude Bernard Lyon, 67 Pd Pinel 69675, Bron Cedex, France
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150
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Suzuki IK. Molecular drivers of human cerebral cortical evolution. Neurosci Res 2019; 151:1-14. [PMID: 31175883 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2019.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
One of the most important questions in human evolutionary biology is how our ancestor has acquired an expanded volume of the cerebral cortex, which may have significantly impacted on improving our cognitive abilities. Recent comparative approaches have identified developmental features unique to the human or hominid cerebral cortex, not shared with other animals including conventional experimental models. In addition, genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic signatures associated with human- or hominid-specific processes of the cortical development are becoming identified by virtue of technical progress in the deep nucleotide sequencing. This review discusses ontogenic and phylogenetic processes of the human cerebral cortex, followed by the introduction of recent comprehensive approaches identifying molecular mechanisms potentially driving the evolutionary changes in the cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikuo K Suzuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 Japan; VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KULeuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
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