MEDIAL CORTEX FUNCTION AND FORAGING STRATEGY IN LIZARDS

哺乳动物和鸟类的海马体似乎对 自然选择对空间认知的压力。建议数 研究将调查海马体的结构同源 在蜥蜴中，内侧皮质是位置记忆和生长所必需的 以响应主动觅食的生态需求。这个 畸形性男性内侧病变的表现 大脑皮层和背侧皮质将与假手术动物进行比较。我 将检查两对同属物种的撕裂物，它们具有 不同的觅食风格。预计活跃的觅食者将 有更好的地方记忆和更大的内侧皮质体积比坐着和- 等一下捕食者。 内侧皮质区作为内侧皮质的同系物的研究 海马体可能提供更多的模型来分析记忆和 可能对与疾病相关的研究有用的学习，包括 海马体功能障碍，包括阿尔茨海默氏症、中风和意外- 诱发性脑损伤。通过对记忆的分子基础的研究 长时程增强也可以用爬行动物来研究，一旦我们有了 更好地理解学习和记忆的神经结构 在这个门类中。

The mammalian and avian hippocampus appears to grow in response to natural selection pressures for spatial cognition. The proposed research will investigate if the structural homolog to the hippocampus in lizards, the medial cortex, is necessary for place memory and grows in response to the ecological demands of active foraging. The performance of Cnemidophorous inornatus males with lesions of the medial cortex and dorsal cortex will be compared to sham operated animals. I will examine two pairs of congeneric species of lacertids that have different foraging styles. It is expected that the active foragers will have better place memory and a larger medial cortex volume than sit-and- wait predators. The study of the role of the medial cortex as a homologue to the hippocampus may provide more models for the analysis of memory and learning that may be useful for research relating to disorders involving hippocampal dysfunction including Alzheimer's, strokes, and accident- induced brain trauma. The molecular basis of memory via studies of long-term potentiation may also be studied using reptiles once we have a better understanding of the neural structures of learning and memory in this phyla.