The study of the brain by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evolutionary analyses is still in its incipient stage, however, it is particularly useful as it allows us to analyze detailed anatomical images and compare brains of rare or otherwise inaccessible species, evolutionarily contextualizing possible differences, while at the same time being non-invasive. A good example is the lungfishes, sarcopterygians that are the closest living relatives of tetrapods and thus have an interesting phylogenetic position in the evolutionary conquest of the terrestrial environment. In the present study, we have developed a three-dimensional representation of the brain of the lungfish Protopterus annectens together with a rostrocaudal anatomical atlas. This methodological approach provides a clear delineation of the major brain subdivisions of this model and allows to measure both brain and ventricular volumes. Our results confirm that lungfish show neuroanatomical patterns reminiscent of those of extant basal sarcopterygians, with an evaginated telencephalon, and distinctive characters like a small optic tectum. These and additional characters uncover lungfish as a remarkable model to understand the origins of tetrapod diversity, indicating that their brain may contain significant clues to the characters of the brain of ancestral tetrapods.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10997765 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-58671-x | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Estimates of life-history and growth parameters of exploited fish species in lakes Edward and George: Implications on exploitation status, population dynamics, management, and conservation of native species.
J Fish Biol
October 2024
OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.
Article Synopsis
- Adequate knowledge is crucial for effective inland fisheries management, but many regions, like Uganda's Lake Edward and Lake George, lack reliable monitoring data.
- The study estimated vital life-history and growth parameters for 16 fish stocks, which serve as important indicators of fish stock health, using various statistical methods and existing literature.
- Findings revealed concerns over unsustainable fishing practices, with indicators showing that some fish sizes were below optimal levels, hinting at the negative impacts of current management practices.
Type 2 vomeronasal receptor expression in the olfactory organ of African lungfish, Protopterus annectens.
Cell Tissue Res
November 2024
Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8550, Japan.
The olfactory organ of tetrapods, with few exceptions, comprises the main and accessory organs: olfactory epithelium (OE) and vomeronasal organ (VNO). Unlike tetrapods, teleost fish lack a VNO. However, lungfish, a type of sarcopterygian fish closely related to tetrapods, possesses a lamellar OE similar to the OE of teleosts and a recess epithelium (RecE) resembling the amphibian VNO.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe genomes of all lungfish inform on genome expansion and tetrapod evolution.
Nature
October 2024
Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
Article Synopsis
- The genomes of lungfishes, particularly the recently sequenced African and South American species, provide insights into the evolutionary transition from fish to tetrapods during the Devonian period.
- The Lepidosiren genome is the largest animal genome sequenced to date, about 91 Gb, and features significant genome expansion due to active transposable elements, growing rapidly over the past 100 million years.
- The study finds that while lungfish chromosomes retain features of their ancient tetrapod ancestors, the loss of limb-like appendages in some species is likely linked to the deletion of specific enhancers associated with limb development.
The West African lungfish secretes a living cocoon during aestivation with uncertain antimicrobial function.
bioRxiv
July 2024
Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720.
One of the most exceptional adaptations to extreme drought is found in the sister group to tetrapods, the lungfishes (Dipnoi), which can aestivate inside a mucus cocoon for multiple years at reduced metabolic rates with complete cessation of ingestion and excretion. However, the function of the cocoon tissue is not fully understood. Here we developed a new more natural laboratory protocol for inducing aestivation in the West African lungfish, and investigated the structure and function of the cocoon.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA detailed 3D MRI brain atlas of the African lungfish Protopterus annectens.
Sci Rep
April 2024
Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
The study of the brain by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evolutionary analyses is still in its incipient stage, however, it is particularly useful as it allows us to analyze detailed anatomical images and compare brains of rare or otherwise inaccessible species, evolutionarily contextualizing possible differences, while at the same time being non-invasive. A good example is the lungfishes, sarcopterygians that are the closest living relatives of tetrapods and thus have an interesting phylogenetic position in the evolutionary conquest of the terrestrial environment. In the present study, we have developed a three-dimensional representation of the brain of the lungfish Protopterus annectens together with a rostrocaudal anatomical atlas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!