Arginine vasotocin, steroid hormones and social behavior in the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis).

Arginine vasotocin (AVT) is a potent regulator of social behavior in many species, but little is known about its role in reptilian behavior. Here we examine the effect of exogenous AVT on aggressive responding and courtship behavior in the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis). Aggressive behavior was stimulated in two ways: (1) mirror presentation (no relative status formed) and (2) size-matched pairs (where a social status is achieved).

Kisspeptin-like immunoreactive neuron distribution in the green anole (Anolis carolinensis).

Kisspeptins are a recently identified class of neuropeptides belonging to the RFamide peptide family. Despite growing evidence supporting kisspeptin as a key regulator of reproduction, data addressing whether kisspeptin is a conserved reproductive signal are lacking. We investigated the distribution of kisspeptin in adult green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis) via immunohistochemistry.

Behavioral and neuroanatomical correlates of white matter asymmetries in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Although behavioral and brain asymmetries have been documented in non-human primates, lateralization in cortical connectivity as reflected in white matter has not been described in any species, despite the intrinsic theoretical interest in white matter expansion during primate brain evolution. Here we report evidence of population-level leftward asymmetries in the white matter of chimpanzees. We further report that lateralization in white matter correlates with their handedness as well as neuroanatomical asymmetries in the precentral gyrus.

Sex and handedness effects on corpus callosum morphology in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Findings suggest that in humans, sex and hand preference may be associated with the size of the corpus callosum (CC). The authors measured CC morphology from MRIs in 67 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) to see whether similar effects were present in this species. Hand preference was assessed by performance on 4 tasks, and chimpanzees were classified as left-handed, right-handed, or ambidextrous.

The Association between handedness, brain asymmetries, and corpus callosum size in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

It has been suggested from studies in human subjects that sex, handedness, and brain asymmetries influence variation in corpus callosum (CC) size and these differences reflect the degree of connectivity between homotopic regions of the left and right cerebral hemispheres. Here we report that handedness is associated with variation in the size of the CC in chimpanzees. We further report that variation in brain asymmetries in a cortical region homologous to Broca's area is associated with the size of the CC but differs for right- and left-handed individuals.