Collaborative Research: Unraveling the Deep History of Avian Neurological Complexity: Implications for the Origins of Flight and Organization of the Modern Avian Brain

合作研究：揭开鸟类神经复杂性的深层历史：对飞行起源和现代鸟类大脑组织的影响

• 批准号: 1457180
• 负责人: Paul Gignac
• 金额: $ 5.62万
• 依托单位: Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-04-01 至 2019-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1457180&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Unraveling; Deep; History

Despite advances in knowledge of brain function, the relationship between brain evolution and ecological diversity remains poorly known. A prominent example is that of birds. Taking to the air enabled the dinosaurian ancestors of birds to exploit a range of ecological niches that now underlie the remarkable modern diversity of the group (approximately 10,000 living species). A significant part of this evolutionary success may have stemmed from the development of a relatively large brain, which has been considered necessary for coordinating the various, nuanced components of powered flight. This study complements the NSF BRAIN initiative by using a cross-disciplinary approach to understand the complex neurological evolution of birds and their dinosaurian relatives. To that end, an array of new techniques and new applications of existing technologies are employed to document the major changes in the brain associated with the origin of powered flight. This study also will establish a model of brain expansion complementing that already available for mammals. The outcome will be an unprecedented database of avian brain anatomy that includes not only imagery of morphological systems but also their relation to data generated through brain function. The relationship between neuroanatomical, cognitive and behavioral evolution remains poorly understood, especially in deep time and across the vertebrate tree of life. This study addresses this relationship using a cross-disciplinary investigation of the evolutionary link between the large brain of living birds and the morphological changes that mark the transition from cursorial (running) dinosaur to flying bird. Initial steps use innovative imaging methods and novel staining techniques to generate the first data on what areas of the brain birds use while flying, and how this activity differs from that of other behaviors. These data will serve as a framework for a broad analysis of encephalization (increasing head size) within living birds and along the lineage where avian flight originated. Shared landmarks will be used to subdivide the endocranial cavity into functionally relevant partitions that allow testing for volumetric size changes between individual neural structures, including those most active during flight. This study also will use geometric morphometrics (anatomical comparisons) to assess covariation between neuroanatomical partitions and thus the presence of functionally and/or evolutionarily integrated regions of the brain. In short, the proposed study will generate data on how birds use their brain and apply those data to better understand the ancient relationship between brain evolution and the origin of the highly derived avian body plan.

尽管对大脑功能的了解取得了进步，但大脑进化与生态多样性之间的关系仍然知之甚少。一个突出的例子是鸟类。飞翔在空中使鸟类的恐龙祖先能够利用一系列生态位，这些生态位现在构成了该群体显着的现代多样性（大约 10,000 个现存物种）。这种进化成功的一个重要部分可能源于相对较大的大脑的发育，这被认为是协调动力飞行的各种微妙组成部分所必需的。这项研究通过使用跨学科方法来了解鸟类及其恐龙亲戚的复杂神经进化，对 NSF BRAIN 计划进行了补充。为此，采用了一系列新技术和现有技术的新应用来记录与动力飞行起源相关的大脑的主要变化。这项研究还将建立一个大脑扩张模型，补充哺乳动物已有的大脑扩张模型。结果将是一个前所未有的鸟类大脑解剖学数据库，其中不仅包括形态系统的图像，还包括它们与通过大脑功能生成的数据的关系。神经解剖学、认知和行为进化之间的关系仍然知之甚少，特别是在深层时间和整个脊椎动物生命树中。这项研究通过对现存鸟类的大大脑与标志着从游走（奔跑）恐龙到飞行鸟类转变的形态变化之间的进化联系进行跨学科研究来解决这种关系。最初的步骤使用创新的成像方法和新颖的染色技术来生成关于鸟类在飞行时使用的大脑区域的第一批数据，以及这种活动与其他行为的不同之处。这些数据将作为对现存鸟类和鸟类飞行起源谱系的脑化（头部尺寸增加）进行广泛分析的框架。共享的地标将用于将颅腔细分为功能相关的分区，以便测试各个神经结构之间的体积大小变化，包括飞行期间最活跃的神经结构。这项研究还将使用几何形态计量学（解剖学比较）来评估神经解剖学分区之间的协变，从而评估大脑功能和/或进化整合区域的存在。简而言之，拟议的研究将生成有关鸟类如何使用大脑的数据，并应用这些数据来更好地理解大脑进化与高度衍生的鸟类身体计划起源之间的古老关系。