Work

Large-scale network organization in the avian forebrain: a connectivity matrix and theoretical analysis

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Many species of birds, including pigeons, possess demonstrable cognitive capacities, and some are capable of cognitive feats matching those of apes. Since mammalian cortex is laminar while the avian telencephalon is nucleated, it is natural to ask whether the brains of these two cognitively capable taxa, despite their apparent anatomical dissimilarities, might exhibit common principles of organization on some level. Complementing recent investigations of macro-scale brain connectivity in mammals, including humans and macaques, we here present the first large-scale "wiring diagram" for the forebrain of a bird. Using graph theory, we show that the pigeon telencephalon is organized along similar lines to that of a mammal. Both are modular, small-world networks with a connective core of hub nodes that includes prefrontal-like and hippocampal structures. These hub nodes are, topologically speaking, the most central regions of the pigeon's brain, as well as being the most richly connected, implying a crucial role in information flow. Overall, our analysis suggests that indeed, despite the absence of cortical layers and close to 300 million years of separate evolution, the connectivity of the avian brain conforms to the same organizational principles as the mammalian brain.

Source: Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience

DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2013.00089

Authors: Murray Shanahan, Verner P. Bingman, Toru Shimizu, Martin Wild, Onur Güntürkün

Institutions: Imperial College London, Bowling Green State University, University of South Florida, University of Auckland, Ruhr University Bochum

Language: English

Topic: Functional Brain Connectivity Studies

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801

Funder: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft