Telencephalon Enlargement By The Convergent Evolution Of Expanded Subventricular Zones

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Also Included In: Veterinary
Article Date: 08 Oct 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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Parrots and songbirds are similar to primates in having proportionately large forebrains. Striedter and Charvet show that parrots and songbirds also resemble primates in a key aspect of forebrain development: all three groups of animals have enlarged telencephalic subventricular zones, which contain specialized forebrain progenitor cells.

Striedter and Charvet further suggest that this enlargement of the forebrain's subventricular zone is due to a mechanical constraint arising from the cellular mechanisms governing forebrain development.

This implies that the subventricular zone expands in songbirds, parrots and primates because there is no other way for these species to enlarge their forebrain.

Royal Society journal Biology Letters

Biology Letters publishes short, innovative and cutting-edge research articles and opinion pieces accessible to scientists from across the biological sciences. The journal is characterised by stringent peer-review, rapid publication and broad dissemination of succinct high-quality research communications.

Biology Letters