| Project/Area Number |
18K14833
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 46020:Anatomy and histopathology of nervous system-related
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| Research Institution | Hokkaido University |
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Principal Investigator |
Patzke Nina 北海道大学, 高等教育推進機構, 助教 (20801690)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥600,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
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| Keywords | Brain / Evolution / Neuroanatomy / Mammals / Cetaceans / MRI / Comparative neruoanatomy / Odontocete / Morphology / Histology / whales / brain / neuronantomy / evolution / volumetric / comparative neuroanatomy / Isotropic fractionator / cortex / neuroanatomy |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The global aim of the research was to provide a better understanding of the evolution of the large brains in whales. We were able to reveal the following:
1. Despite the unusual detailed shape, large size and high level of folding, the cerebrum of the whales follows the same scaling relationship as that of other mammals. This finding indicates that overall external shape of the 2 cetaceans is typical mammalian. 2. Whales possess a specialized brain heat-producing system that allows the brain to function as its own heating element. These heat-regulation mechanisms may have contributed to the evolution of large brain size in whales 3. Toothed whales have more neurons in the cortex when comparted to other mammals, is not as high as in primates. This increased number of neurons might reflect the higher cognitive abilities of toothed whales.
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
本研究で得られた結果は、哺乳類の脳の進化を理解するために重要である。この研究により大脳皮質の面積や体積の関係が普遍的な方式に従うことが明らかになった。さらに本研究のデータにより、皮質ニューロンの総数が動物の認知能力を把握する良い指標であることが示唆された。クジラの神経解剖学に関する広範な知識は、これら象徴的な意義を持つ海洋哺乳類の、より適切な管理および保全戦略を開発し実施するために重要である。
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