Conference: Avian Brain Nomenclature Forum, to be held July 18th-20th, 2002, Durham, NC

由于缺乏对术语的共识和术语的不同使用，阻碍了将鸟类大脑的发现与其他脊椎动物大脑的研究直接联系起来的努力。 近100年前，科学家们确定，鸟类的大脑，在丘脑的水平之上，只由基底神经节组成，基底神经节是哺乳动物前脑的腹侧部分。 在20世纪60年代，使用几种分子标记，这一结论被证明是不正确的。 然而，从那时起，关于鸟类和哺乳动物的大脑如何相互对应的协议很少。 因此，100年前的基底神经节术语仍然被使用，在科学研究中造成混乱和不准确的比较。 鸟类大脑命名论坛的目的是汇集鸟类神经科学和比较神经解剖学领域的专家，以修订鸟类大脑命名法。 与会者将在参加论坛之前通过网站了解信息，为论坛做准备，然后举行为期三天的会议，进行演讲和讨论。 教授、博士后和研究生将努力在会议结束前达成共识。 然后，将在网站上公布结果。 流行的鸟类大脑图谱将使用共识规范进行修订，并将通过网络和CD格式提供。这项工作的影响将远远超出简单的比较神经解剖学，因为整个神经科学对使用鸟类作为学习模型的强烈兴趣，用于发展和行为研究，包括迁移和社会行为;此外，一些会议成果可能对更广泛的公众感兴趣。

Lack of consensus on terminology and disparate uses of terms have stymied efforts to directly link discoveries in the avian brain with research on the brains of other vertebrates. Nearly 100 years ago, scientists decided that the avian brain, above the level of the thalamus, consists solely of the basal ganglia, which is a ventral part of the mammalian forebrain. In the 1960's, using several molecular markers, this conclusion was shown to be incorrect. However, since then there has been very little agreement on how avian and mammalian brains correspond with one another. As a result, the 100-year old basal ganglia terminology is still used, creating confusion and inaccurate comparisons in scientific research. The purpose of the Avian Brain Nomenclature Forum is to bring together experts in the fields of avian neuroscience and comparative neuroanatomy for the purpose of revising avian brain nomenclature. Participants will prepare for the forum by using a website for information before they attend, and then meet for three days for presentations and discussions. Professors, postdoctoral students and graduate students will try to reach a consensus by the end of the conference. Afterwards, the results will be published and made available at the web site. Popular avian brain atlases will be revised using the consensus normenclature, and will be available via web and CD formats. The impact of this work will go far beyond simply comparative neuroanatomy, because of the strong interest across neuroscience in using birds as models for learning, for development and for studies of behavior including migration and social behavior; additionally, some of the conference output may be interesting to a broader public that is interested in birds.