The characterization and definition of homology in the cerebral cortex needed for a species to be adopted as a translational model in neuroscience is a unique challenge given the diverse array of cortical morphology present in the mammalian lineage. Using the domestic pig as an example, we provide a roadmap of how leveraging Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain and data-driven tractography can overcome these obstacles and facilitate cortical alignment between distantly related species. In doing so, we created a full platform of neuroimaging tools to be used in the pig, including volumetric and surface templates, a structural white matter atlas, and the establishment of a common connectivity space to facilitate pig-human cortical alignment. Releasing our data and code and our pig-human cortical alignment, we permit researchers already working with the pig to accentuate the clinical relevance and translational capacity of their work. By sharing the intermediate outputs and scripts used to construct our pig-human cortical alignment, we also provide a roadmap to expand the current repertoire of animal models used in neuroscience.
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