The evolution of brain neuron numbers in amniotes

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11310%2F22%3A10447195" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11310/22:10447195 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=.uYh3Itt0M" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=.uYh3Itt0M</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2121624119" target="_blank" >10.1073/pnas.2121624119</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

The evolution of brain neuron numbers in amniotes

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Reconstructing the evolution of brain information-processing capacity is paramount for understanding the rise of complex cognition. Comparative studies of brain evolution typically use brain size as a proxy. However, to get a less biased picture of the evolutionary paths leading to high cognitive power, we need to compare brains not by mass but by numbers of neurons, which are their basic computational units. This study reconstructs the evolution of brains across amniotes by directly analyzing neuron numbers by using the largest dataset of its kind and including essential data on reptiles. We show that reptiles have not only small brains relative to body size but also low neuronal densities, resulting in average neuron numbers over 20 times lower than those in birds and mammals of similar body size. Amniote brain evolution is characterized by the following four major shifts in neuron-brain scaling. The most dramatic increases in brain neurons occurred independently with the appearance of birds and mammals, resulting in convergent neuron scaling in the two endotherm lineages. The other two major increases in the number of neurons happened in core land birds and anthropoid primates, which are two groups known for their cognitive prowess. Interestingly, relative brain size is associated with relative neuronal cell density in reptiles, birds, and primates but not in other mammals. This has important implications for studies using relative brain size as a proxy when looking for evolutionary drivers of animal cognition.

Název v anglickém jazyce

The evolution of brain neuron numbers in amniotes

Popis výsledku anglicky

Reconstructing the evolution of brain information-processing capacity is paramount for understanding the rise of complex cognition. Comparative studies of brain evolution typically use brain size as a proxy. However, to get a less biased picture of the evolutionary paths leading to high cognitive power, we need to compare brains not by mass but by numbers of neurons, which are their basic computational units. This study reconstructs the evolution of brains across amniotes by directly analyzing neuron numbers by using the largest dataset of its kind and including essential data on reptiles. We show that reptiles have not only small brains relative to body size but also low neuronal densities, resulting in average neuron numbers over 20 times lower than those in birds and mammals of similar body size. Amniote brain evolution is characterized by the following four major shifts in neuron-brain scaling. The most dramatic increases in brain neurons occurred independently with the appearance of birds and mammals, resulting in convergent neuron scaling in the two endotherm lineages. The other two major increases in the number of neurons happened in core land birds and anthropoid primates, which are two groups known for their cognitive prowess. Interestingly, relative brain size is associated with relative neuronal cell density in reptiles, birds, and primates but not in other mammals. This has important implications for studies using relative brain size as a proxy when looking for evolutionary drivers of animal cognition.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10613 - Zoology

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/GA18-15020S" target="_blank" >GA18-15020S: Evoluce komplexity a procesní kapacity mozku u obojživelníků a plazů: Kvantitativní přístup k porozumění evoluce mozku u čtyřnožců</a><br>

Návaznosti

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Rok uplatnění

2022

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

ISSN

0027-8424

e-ISSN

1091-6490

Svazek periodika

119

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

11

Stát vydavatele periodika

US - Spojené státy americké

Počet stran výsledku

10

Strana od-do

e2121624119

Kód UT WoS článku

000771757800002

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-85125979299