TY - JOUR
T1 - Brain organization of gorillas reflects species differences in ecology
AU - Barks, Sarah K.
AU - Calhoun, Michael E.
AU - Hopkins, William D.
AU - Cranfield, Michael R.
AU - Mudakikwa, Antoine
AU - Stoinski, Tara S.
AU - Patterson, Francine G.
AU - Erwin, Joseph M.
AU - Hecht, Erin E.
AU - Hof, Patrick R.
AU - Sherwood, Chet C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
PY - 2015/2/1
Y1 - 2015/2/1
N2 - Gorillas include separate eastern (Gorilla beringei) and western (Gorilla gorilla) African species that diverged from each other approximately 2 million years ago. Although anatomical, genetic, behavioral, and socioecological differences have been noted among gorilla populations, little is known about variation in their brain structure. This study examines neuro-anatomical variation between gorilla species using structural neuroimaging. Postmortem magnetic resonance images were obtained of brains from 18 captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), 15 wild mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), and 3 Gra-uer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) (both wild and captive). Stereologic methods were used to measure volumes of brain structures, including left and right frontal lobe gray and white matter, temporal lobe gray and white matter, parietal and occipital lobes gray and white matter, insular gray matter, hippocampus, striatum, thalamus, each hemisphere and the vermis of the cerebellum, and the external and extreme capsules together with the claustrum. Among the species differences, the volumes of the hippocampus and cerebellum were significantly larger in G. gorilla than G. beringei. These anatomical differences may relate to divergent ecological adaptations of the two species. Specifically, G. gorilla engages in more arboreal locomotion and thus may rely more on cerebellar circuits. In addition, they tend to eat more fruit and have larger home ranges and consequently might depend more on spatial mapping functions of the hippocampus.
AB - Gorillas include separate eastern (Gorilla beringei) and western (Gorilla gorilla) African species that diverged from each other approximately 2 million years ago. Although anatomical, genetic, behavioral, and socioecological differences have been noted among gorilla populations, little is known about variation in their brain structure. This study examines neuro-anatomical variation between gorilla species using structural neuroimaging. Postmortem magnetic resonance images were obtained of brains from 18 captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), 15 wild mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), and 3 Gra-uer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) (both wild and captive). Stereologic methods were used to measure volumes of brain structures, including left and right frontal lobe gray and white matter, temporal lobe gray and white matter, parietal and occipital lobes gray and white matter, insular gray matter, hippocampus, striatum, thalamus, each hemisphere and the vermis of the cerebellum, and the external and extreme capsules together with the claustrum. Among the species differences, the volumes of the hippocampus and cerebellum were significantly larger in G. gorilla than G. beringei. These anatomical differences may relate to divergent ecological adaptations of the two species. Specifically, G. gorilla engages in more arboreal locomotion and thus may rely more on cerebellar circuits. In addition, they tend to eat more fruit and have larger home ranges and consequently might depend more on spatial mapping functions of the hippocampus.
KW - Cerebellum
KW - Hippocampus
KW - Primate brain evolution
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84920771285&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ajpa.22646
DO - 10.1002/ajpa.22646
M3 - Article
C2 - 25360547
AN - SCOPUS:84920771285
SN - 0002-9483
VL - 156
SP - 252
EP - 262
JO - American Journal of Physical Anthropology
JF - American Journal of Physical Anthropology
IS - 2
ER -