Collaborative Research: The Origin of the Large Brains of Cetaceans

合作研究：鲸类大脑的起源

• 批准号: 2142526
• 负责人: Johannes Thewissen
• 金额: $ 55.14万
• 依托单位: Northeast Ohio Medical University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-15 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2142526&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Origin; Large; Brains

Cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises) have the largest brains on the planet, ever. Even when scaled for body size, cetacean brains are second only to humans in size. Expansion of brain size in cetaceans has been considered a consequence of echolocation and/or an increase in the number of neurons. This project will use the study of fossil cetaceans to identify factors lead to brain expansion. Because cetaceans are a charismatic group of mammals with an exceptional fossil record, this study will use brain evolution as a case study that engages high school juniors and seniors from a rural STEM school in Ohio, as well as Alaskan high school and college students. Students will take a course focused on Whales, Seals, and Evolution, which integrates broader geological and biological concepts. A symposium organized by the Sitka Science Center in Alaska will be used to present findings to the general public. This study analyzes a collection of the earliest fossil cetaceans to identify factors contributing to the evolution of brain size. The project team will test the hypothesis that the acquisition of echolocation led to increases in brain size. This will be accomplished by studying changes in ear shape in fossil whales over time to identify when high-frequency hearing evolved. In addition, the team will test whether size increases in the cetacean brain are a consequence of increasing numbers of neurons or other support cells. This will be accomplished by comparing the number of neurons within the brains of living echolocating and non-echolocating whales relative to other cells within the brain. This study will further understanding of cetacean evolution by pinpointing when the expansion of the brain occurred, how this expansion relates to the onset of high-frequency hearing, and by quantifying the diversity and abundance of cells within the brain.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

鲸目动物（鲸鱼，海豚，鼠海豚）拥有地球上最大的大脑。即使按身体大小来衡量，鲸类动物的大脑也仅次于人类。鲸目动物大脑体积的扩大被认为是回声定位和/或神经元数量增加的结果。 该项目将利用对鲸类化石的研究来确定导致大脑扩张的因素。 由于鲸类动物是一个具有非凡化石记录的魅力哺乳动物群体，因此这项研究将使用大脑进化作为案例研究，吸引来自俄亥俄州农村STEM学校的高中三年级和四年级学生，以及阿拉斯加高中和大学生。 学生将参加一门课程，重点是鲸鱼，海豹和进化，它整合了更广泛的地质和生物学概念。由阿拉斯加锡特卡科学中心组织的一次研讨会将被用来向公众介绍研究结果。这项研究分析了一组最早的鲸类化石，以确定影响大脑大小进化的因素。 该项目团队将测试获得回声定位导致大脑尺寸增加的假设。 这将通过研究鲸鱼化石中耳朵形状随时间的变化来确定高频听觉何时进化来实现。 此外，研究小组还将测试鲸类大脑体积的增加是否是神经元或其他支持细胞数量增加的结果。 这将通过比较活的回声定位和非回声定位鲸鱼的大脑内的神经元数量相对于大脑内的其他细胞来实现。 这项研究将进一步了解鲸类动物的进化，通过精确定位大脑的扩张发生时，这种扩张如何与高频听力的发生有关，并通过量化大脑内细胞的多样性和丰富度。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。