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Pedrosa LRR, Leal LCP, Muniz JAPC, Bastos CDO, Gomes BD, Krejcová LV. From imaging to precision: low cost and accurate determination of stereotactic coordinates for brain surgery Sapajus apella using MRI. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1324669. [PMID: 38362021 PMCID: PMC10867132 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1324669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The capuchin monkey (Sapajus apella), a New World monkey species, exhibits prominent characteristics that make it an ideal model for neuroscience research. These characteristics include its phylogenetic traits, telencephalization coefficient, anatomical structures and pathways, genetic profile, immune responses, cognitive abilities, and complex behavioral repertoires. Traditionally, methodologies for stereotactic neurosurgery in research models have relied on the use of brain atlases. However, this approach can lead to errors due to the considerable variation in brain size and shape among individual monkeys. To address this issue, we developed a protocol for deriving individual coordinates for each monkey using a straightforward and relatively inexpensive method involving MRI imaging. Our protocol utilizes a specially designed, 3D-printed stereotactic head-holder that is safe to use with an MR magnet, non-invasive placement of fiducial markers, and post-processing with open-source software. This approach enhances MRI data visualization, improves anatomical targeting, and refines the design of neurosurgical experiments. Our technique could also prove beneficial in other areas of neuroscience research that require accurate calculation of stereotaxic coordinates. Furthermore, it could be useful for other nonhuman primate species for which brain atlases are typically unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leon C. P. Leal
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- National Primate Center, Institute Evandro Chagas, Ananindeua, Brazil
| | | | | | - Bruno D. Gomes
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Lane V. Krejcová
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
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Kabbej N, Ashby FJ, Riva A, Gamlin PD, Mandel RJ, Kunta A, Rouse CJ, Heldermon CD. Sex differences in brain transcriptomes of juvenile Cynomolgus macaques. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3422091. [PMID: 38045237 PMCID: PMC10690328 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3422091/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Background: Behavioral, social, and physical characteristics are posited to distinguish the sexes, yet research on transcription-level sexual differences in the brain is limited. Here, we investigated sexually divergent brain transcriptomics in prepubertal cynomolgus macaques, a commonly used surrogate species to humans. Methods: A transcriptomic profile using RNA sequencing was generated for the temporal lobe, ventral midbrain, and cerebellum of 3 female and 3 male cynomolgus macaques previously treated with an Adeno-associated virus vector mix. Statistical analyses to determine differentially expressed protein-coding genes in all three lobes were conducted using DeSeq2 with a false discovery rate corrected P value of .05. Results: We identified target genes in the temporal lobe, ventral midbrain, and cerebellum with functions in translation, immunity, behavior, and neurological disorders that exhibited statistically significant sexually divergent expression. Conclusions: We provide potential mechanistic insights to the epidemiological differences observed between the sexes with regards to mental health and infectious diseases, such as COVID19. Our results provide pre-pubertal information on sexual differences in non-human primate brain transcriptomics and may provide insight to health disparities between the biological sexes in humans.
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Salmi R, Le K, Silva JM, Conceição DP, Presotto A, Rodrigues Dos Santos R. Hand preference in wild crab-eating capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) in the coastal area of Northest Brazil. Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23546. [PMID: 37635447 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Handedness is a fundamental human trait, although recent research, especially on nonhuman primates, has shown that it is displayed by other animals as well (e.g., chimpanzees, gorillas). In this study, we explore hand preference in wild crab-eating tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) inhabiting a mangrove forest located on the coastal area of Northeast Brazil (Maranhão State). Tufted capuchin monkeys at our site use facultatively wooden tools to crack open crabs. We observed hand preference in 12 subjects who spontaneously participated in experiment sessions, in which we provided crabs and tools on wooden platforms. We recorded (using events and bouts) two unimanual tasks, (tool or crab) grabbing and (tool or crab) pounding, and one bimanual task, crab pulling, where one hand kept the crab in place while the other pulled off parts of the crab. Hand preference increased with greater strength needed to perform the task and its complexity. While only 17%-25% of capuchins showed hand preference during grabbing, 44%-64% showed hand preference during pounding, and most subjects 64%-80% displayed a right-hand preference when performing the bimanual task, for which all lateralized individuals were right-handed. Hand preference did not vary between adults and juvenile individuals and was not consistent across tasks. Group-level hand preference was found only for the bimanual task, for which all lateralized individuals were right-handed. Our findings are in concordance with those of other primate studies showing the emergence of hemispheric specialization for bimanual actions, highlight the importance of conducting such studies on diverse type of tasks, and show the feasibility to conduct experimental manipulation under natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Salmi
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Mangrove Primate Center, Maranhão State, Brazil
| | - Kristie Le
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Jardeani M Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brazil
| | - Daiana P Conceição
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brazil
| | - Andrea Presotto
- Mangrove Primate Center, Maranhão State, Brazil
- Department of Geography and Geosciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland, USA
| | - Ricardo Rodrigues Dos Santos
- Mangrove Primate Center, Maranhão State, Brazil
- Centro de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Sao Luis, Brazil
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Man C, Gilissen E, Michaud M. Sexual dimorphism in the cranium and endocast of the eastern lowland gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri). J Hum Evol 2023; 184:103439. [PMID: 37804559 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism of the nervous system has been reported for a wide range of vertebrates. However, understanding of sexual dimorphism in primate cranial structures and soft tissues, and more particularly the brain, remains limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate the external and internal (i.e., endocast) cranial differences between male and female eastern lowland gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri). We examined the differences in the size, shape, and disparity with the aim to compare how sexual dimorphism can impact these two structures distinctively, with a particular focus on the endocranium. To do so, we reconstructed gorilla external crania and endocasts from CT scans and used 3D geometric morphometric techniques combined with multivariate analyses to assess the cranial and endocranial differences between the sexes. Our results highlighted sexual dimorphism for the external cranium and endocast with regard to both size and shape. In particular, males display an elongated face accompanied by a pronounced sagittal crest and an elongated endocast along the rostroposterior axis, in contrast to females who are identified by a more rounded brain case and endocast. Males also show a significantly larger external cranium and endocast size than females. In addition, we described important differences for the posterior cranial fossae (i.e., the position of the cerebellum within the brain case) and olfactory bulb between the two sexes. Particularly, our results highlighted that, relatively to males, females have larger posterior cranial fossae, whereas males have been characterized by a larger and rostrally oriented olfactory bulb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Man
- Laboratory of Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32 Bus 2439, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium.
| | - Emmanuel Gilissen
- Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium; Laboratory of Histology and Neuropathology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP620 - Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Margot Michaud
- Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
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Reilly OT, Brosnan SF, Benítez ME, Phillips KA, Hecht EE. Sex differences in white matter tracts of capuchin monkey brains. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:1096-1107. [PMID: 37127839 PMCID: PMC10247455 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Nonhuman primates exhibit sexual dimorphism in behavior, suggesting that there could be underlying differences in brain organization and function. Understanding this neuroanatomical variation is critical for enhancing our understanding of the evolution of sex differences in the human brain. Tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] apella) represent a phylogenetically diverse taxa of neotropical primates that converge on several behavioral characteristics with humans relevant to social organization, making them an important point of comparison for studying the evolution of sex differences in primates. While anatomical sex differences in gray matter have previously been found in capuchin monkeys, the current study investigates sex differences in white matter tracts. We carried out tract-based spatial statistical analysis on fractional anisotropy images of tufted capuchin monkeys (15 female, 5 male). We found that females showed significantly higher fractional anisotropy than males in regions of frontal-parietal white matter in the right cerebral hemisphere. Paralleling earlier findings in gray matter, male and female fractional anisotropy values in these regions were nonoverlapping. This complements prior work pointing toward capuchin sex differences in limbic circuitry and higher-order visual regions. We propose that these sex differences are related to the distinct socioecological niches occupied by male and female capuchins. Capuchin neuroanatomical sex differences appear to be more pronounced than in humans, which we suggest may relate to human adaptations for prolonged neurodevelopmental trajectories and increased plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia T Reilly
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Sarah F Brosnan
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Marcela E Benítez
- Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Kimberley A Phillips
- Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Hecht EE, Barton SA, Rogers Flattery CN, Meza Meza A. The evolutionary neuroscience of domestication. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:553-567. [PMID: 37087363 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.03.008] [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: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
How does domestication affect the brain? This question has broad relevance. Domesticated animals play important roles in human society, and substantial recent work has addressed the hypotheses that a domestication syndrome links phenotypes across species, including Homo sapiens. Surprisingly, however, neuroscience research on domestication remains largely disconnected from current knowledge about how and why brains change in evolution. This article aims to bridge that gap. Examination of recent research reveals some commonalities across species, but ultimately suggests that brain changes associated with domestication are complex and variable. We conclude that interactions between behavioral, metabolic, and life-history selection pressures, as well as the role the role of experience and environment, are currently largely overlooked and represent important directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02171, USA.
| | - Sophie A Barton
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02171, USA
| | | | - Araceli Meza Meza
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02171, USA
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