Volumetric Analysis of the African Elephant Ventricular System

Maskeo, Busisiwe C.; Spocter, Muhammad A.; Haagensen, Mark; Manger, Paul R.

doi:10.1002/ar.21431

Cited by 14 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…In terms of the hippocampal formation, it is large in size, but is what would be expected for a mammal with an approximately 5-kg brain. The volume of the elephant amygdala, although large, is what would be expected for a mammal with a 5-kg brain (Patzke et al, 2015), with a similar observation being made regarding the volume of the lateral ventricles (Maseko et al, 2011). Elephants have the relatively largest cerebellum among mammals (Maseko et al, 2012(Maseko et al, , 2013a, with approximately 251 3 10 9 neurons, which is substantially more than in any other mammal studied to date (Herculano-Houzel et al, 2014).…”

supporting

confidence: 62%

“…The damage to the olfactory bulbs in the Yuka mammoth specimen did not allow identification of the olfactory ventricle, which is a prominent feature of the African elephant olfactory bulb (Ngwena et al, ; Maseko et al, ). Due to the shrinkage of the Yuka mammoth specimen, we could not estimate the volume of the ventricular system for quantitative comparison with other mammals, but we expect that the mammoth would have ventricular volumes close to that observed in the African elephant (Maseko et al, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even so, the general appearance, shape, and size of the ventricles within the Yuka mammoth brain appear to correlate strongly to what is seen in the extant elephant brain, including the fourth ventricle dorsal recess into the ventral cerebellar white matter only observed in extant elephants to date (Shoshani et al, 2006;Maseko et al, 2011). The damage to the olfactory bulbs in the Yuka mammoth specimen did not allow identification of the olfactory ventricle, which is a prominent feature of the African elephant olfactory bulb (Ngwena et al, 2011;Maseko et al, 2011). Due to the shrinkage of the Yuka mammoth specimen, we could not estimate the volume of the ventricular system for quantitative comparison with other mammals, but we expect that the mammoth would have ventricular vol-umes close to that observed in the African elephant (Maseko et al, 2011).…”

Section: The Meninges and Ventricular Systemmentioning

confidence: 86%

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The mummified brain of a pleistocene woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) compared with the brain of the extant African elephant (Loxodonta africana)

Kharlamova

Saveliev

Протопопов

et al. 2015

J of Comparative Neurology

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This study presents the results of an examination of the mummified brain of a pleistocene woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) recovered from the Yakutian permafrost in Siberia, Russia. This unique specimen (from 39,440-38,850 years BP) provides the rare opportunity to compare the brain morphology of this extinct species with a related extant species, the African elephant (Loxodonta africana). An anatomical description of the preserved brain of the woolly mammoth is provided, along with a series of quantitative analyses of various brain structures. These descriptions are based on visual inspection of the actual specimen as well as qualitative and quantitative comparison of computed tomography imaging data obtained for the woolly mammoth in comparison with magnetic resonance imaging data from three African elephant brains. In general, the brain of the woolly mammoth specimen examined, estimated to weigh between 4,230 and 4,340 g, showed the typical shape, size, and gross structures observed in extant elephants. Quantitative comparative analyses of various features of the brain, such as the amygdala, corpus callosum, cerebellum, and gyrnecephalic index, all indicate that the brain of the woolly mammoth specimen examined has many similarities with that of modern African elephants. The analysis provided here indicates that a specific brain type representative of the Elephantidae is likely to be a feature of this mammalian family. In addition, the extensive similarities between the woolly mammoth brain and the African elephant brain indicate that the specializations observed in the extant elephant brain are likely to have been present in the woolly mammoth.

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supporting

confidence: 62%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Meninges and Ventricular Systemmentioning

confidence: 86%

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The mummified brain of a pleistocene woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) compared with the brain of the extant African elephant (Loxodonta africana)

Kharlamova

Saveliev

Протопопов

et al. 2015

J of Comparative Neurology

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“…Prior to sectioning, both brains underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to reveal the general anatomy of the brain of the river hippopotamus (for the MRI protocol, see Manger et al, , ; Maseko et al, , ). As both specimens showed a similar anatomy (i.e., there was no obvious variance between the two specimens), we selected a single specimen (HA2, female, brain mass 407.5 g) to section for subsequent staining.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organization of the sleep‐related neural systems in the brain of the river hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius): A most unusual cetartiodactyl species

Dell

Patzke

Spocter

et al. 2016

J of Comparative Neurology

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This study provides the first systematic analysis of the nuclear organization of the neural systems related to sleep and wake in the basal forebrain, diencephalon, midbrain, and pons of the river hippopotamus, one of the closest extant terrestrial relatives of the cetaceans. All nuclei involved in sleep regulation and control found in other mammals, including cetaceans, were present in the river hippopotamus, with no specific nuclei being absent, but novel features of the cholinergic system, including novel nuclei, were present. This qualitative similarity relates to the cholinergic, noradrenergic, serotonergic, and orexinergic systems and is extended to the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic elements of these nuclei. Quantitative analysis reveals that the numbers of pontine cholinergic (259,578) and noradrenergic (127,752) neurons, and hypothalamic orexinergic neurons (68,398) are markedly higher than in other large-brained mammals. These features, along with novel cholinergic nuclei in the intralaminar nuclei of the dorsal thalamus and the ventral tegmental area of the midbrain, as well as a major expansion of the hypothalamic cholinergic nuclei and a large laterodorsal tegmental nucleus of the pons that has both parvocellular and magnocellular cholinergic neurons, indicates an unusual sleep phenomenology for the hippopotamus. Our observations indicate that the hippopotamus is likely to be a bihemispheric sleeper that expresses REM sleep. The novel features of the cholinergic system suggest the presence of an undescribed sleep state in the hippopotamus, as well as the possibility that this animal could, more rapidly than other mammals, switch cortical electroencephalographic activity from one state to another. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:2036-2058, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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“…Prior to sectioning, all three brains underwent MR imaging ( fig. 1 ) to reveal the general anatomy of the diencephalon and brainstem of the elephant [full MRI protocol previously described in Manger et al, 2010Manger et al, , 2012Maseko et al, 2011Maseko et al, , 2012. As all three specimens showed a similar anatomy (i.e.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Architectural Organization of the African Elephant Diencephalon and Brainstem

Maseko

Patzke²,

Fuxé³

et al. 2013

Brain Behav Evol

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The current study examined the organization of the diencephalon and brainstem of the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) - a region of the elephant brain that has not been examined for at least 50 years. The current description, employing material amenable for use with modern neuroanatomical methods, shows that, for the most part, the elephant diencephalon and brainstem are what could be considered typically mammalian, with subtle differences in proportions and topology. The variations from these previous descriptions, where they occurred, were related to four specific aspects of neural information processing: (1) the motor systems, (2) the auditory and vocalization systems, (3) the orexinergic satiety/wakefulness centre of the hypothalamus and the locus coeruleus, and (4) the potential neurogenic lining of the brainstem. For the motor systems, three specific structures exhibited interesting differences in organization - the pars compacta of the substantia nigra, the facial motor nerve nucleus, and the inferior olivary nuclear complex, all related to the timing and learning of movements and likely related to the control of the trunk. The dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra appear to form distinct islands separated from each other by large fibre pathways, an appearance unique to the elephant. Each island may send topologically organized projections to the striatum forming a dopaminergic innervation mosaic that may relate to trunk movements. At least five regions of the combined vocalization production and auditory/seismic reception system were specialized, including the large and distinct nucleus ellipticus of the periaqueductal grey matter, the enlarged lateral superior olivary nucleus, the novel transverse infrageniculate nucleus of the dorsal thalamus, the enlarged dorsal column nuclei and the ventral posterior inferior nucleus of the dorsal thalamus. These specializations, related to production and reception of infrasound, allow the proposal of a novel concept regarding the reception and localization of infrasonic sources. The orexinergic system of the hypothalamus displayed a medial hypothalamic parvocellular cluster of neurons in addition to the magnocellular clusters typical of mammals located in the lateral hypothalamus, and a novel medial division of the locus coeruleus was observed in the pons. These systems are related to appetitive drive and promotion of wakefulness, two aspects of elephant behaviour that appear to be inextricably linked. Lastly, we observed an extensive potential neurogenic lining of the ventricles throughout the brainstem that is present in even quite old elephants, although the function of these cells remains elusive. These observations combined demonstrate that, while much of the elephant brainstem is typically mammalian, certain aspects of the anatomy related to specialized behaviour of elephants are present and instructive in understanding elephant behaviour.

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Volumetric Analysis of the African Elephant Ventricular System

Cited by 14 publications

References 23 publications

The mummified brain of a pleistocene woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) compared with the brain of the extant African elephant (Loxodonta africana)

The mummified brain of a pleistocene woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) compared with the brain of the extant African elephant (Loxodonta africana)

Organization of the sleep‐related neural systems in the brain of the river hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius): A most unusual cetartiodactyl species

Architectural Organization of the African Elephant Diencephalon and Brainstem

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