Read the following article in the lonk below ( Birds have primate-like numbers o

Question

Read the following article in the lonk below (Birds have primate-like numbers of neurons in the forebrain) and answer the associated questions:

http://www.pnas.org/content/113/26/7255

This study provides a straightforward answer to a puzzle that comparative neuroanatomists have been wrestling with for more than a decade: how can birds with their small brains perform complicated cognitive behaviors? Explain some of the details of what their study revealed.

What was interesting or surprising to you in this article?

What are some of the evolutionary pushes for the bird brains of parrots and song birds (the researchers view and your own)?

Explanation / Answer

Ans)

1. small brians perform complicated cognitive behaviors:

i. Higher encephalization (relative brains size deviation brian-body allometry) endow species with improved cognitive abilities has recently challenged by data suggesting number of cerebral neuron and their connections.  

2. study reveal of article:

i. Avain brains contain many more pallial neurons than equivalently sized mammalian brians

Interesting or surprising point in this article:

i. How does birds achieve impressive cognitive prowess with waltnut-sized brians?

ii. Avain birds thus have the potential to provide much higher "Cognitive Power" per unit mass than mammalians brains.

3. evolutionary pushes for the bird brains of parrots and song birds:

i. It is resembles song birds and parrots in terms encephalization, relative telecephalon size, and neuronal densities in telecephalon and dienecephalon.

ii. Neuronal densities is passed from primate to song birds and parrots

iii. General characteristic features is lower neuronal densities and larger glia/neuron ratios.

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