Synaptic Connections in the Avian Basal Ganglia

这个项目解决了大脑进化的一个基本问题：脊椎动物的主要大脑电路图保存得有多好？具体地说，这个项目旨在解决最近对一种名为基底节的结构的两条研究路线所产生的相互矛盾的预测，基底节在启动和学习复杂行为方面很重要。一组主要针对鸽子和鸡等传统研究鸟类的研究表明，鸟类和哺乳动物之间有着密切的相似之处。另一项工作是利用鸣禽学习发声的特定大脑结构，发现了基底节回路组织方式的一些关键差异。这里提出的工作将确定鸡基底神经节的部分是如何连接的，以及这些结构中的单个神经细胞是如何工作的。重点将放在鸟类和哺乳动物之间这些大脑区域的结构和功能有多相似或不同。通过这种比较研究收集的数据有两个主要的有益影响：它们揭示了大脑是如何进化的；它们提供了不同物种如何以相似或不同的方式解决问题的信息。

This project addresses a fundamental question of brain evolution: how well conserved is the main brain circuit diagram across the vertebrates? Specifically, this project aims to resolve contradicting predictions arising from two recent lines of research into a structure called the basal ganglia, which is important in initiating and learning complex behaviors. One set of work, primarily on traditionally studied bird species such as pigeons and chickens, has shown close similarities between birds and mammals. Another line of work, using the specific brain structures of songbirds, which learn their vocalizations, has found some key differences in how the basal ganglia circuits are organized. Work proposed here will determine how portions of the chicken basal ganglia are wired, and how individual nerve cells in those structures work. Emphasis will be on how similar or different the structure and function of these brain regions are between birds and mammals. Data gathered through this sort of comparative research has two major beneficial effects: they shed light on how brains have evolved; and they provide information on how different species have solved problems in similar or different ways.