Summary
A cytoarchitectonic subdivision into visual structures and neocortical grey and white matter has been made from frontal serial sections of brains of mouflons (Ovis ammon musimon) and domestic sheep (Ovis ammon f. aries). The reduction rates determined for the volumes of the brain areas are calculated by means of intraspecific allometric methods.
The overall decrease of visual brain structures in domestic sheep compared with wild sheep amounts to 25.9%. The greatest reduction is found in the striate area (30.2%), followed by the lateral geniculate body (25.4%), the optic tract (20.6%) and finally the superior colliculus (12.1%). The neocortex as a whole decreases in sheep under domestication by 26.4% in volume. The reduction rate of neocortical grey matter amounts to 24.9%, that of the white matter to 28.9%.
The changes of brain size in domestic sheep may be functionally correlated to changes of the environmental conditions which are due to domestication.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abplanalp, P.: The neuroanatomical organization of the visual system in the tree shrew. Folia primatol. 16, 1–34 (1971)
Chomiak, M., Milart, Z., Szteyn, S., Welento, J.: Experimental investigations on the visual centres in the sheep. Part I. J. Hirnforsch. 11, 367–375 (1969)
Cummings, J. F., De Lahunta, A.: An experimental study of the retinal projections in the horse and sheep. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 167, 293–318 (1969)
Diamond, I. T., Hall, W. C.: Evolution of neocortex. Science 164, 251–262 (1969)
Ebinger, P.: A cytoarchitectonic volumetric comparison of brains in wild and domestic sheep. Z. Anat. Entwickl.-Gesch. 144, 267–302 (1974)
Giolli, R. A., Tigges, J.: The primary optic pathways and nuclei of primates. In: The primate brain. Advances in primatology, vol. 1, p. 29–54. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts 1970
Hafez, E. S. E., Cairns, R. B., Hulet, C. V., Scott, I. P.: The behaviour of sheep and goats. In: Hafez, E. S. E. (ed.), The behaviour of domestic animals. London: Bailliere, Tindall and Cassell 1969
Hassler, R.: Die zentralen Systeme des Sehens. Ber. Zus.kunft Dtsch. opthal. Ges. 66, 229–251 (1965)
Hassler, R., Wagner, A.: Experimentelle und morphologische Befunde über die vierfache corticale Projektion des visuellen Systems. Proc. 8. Internat. Congr. Neurol. 3, 77–96 (1965)
Herre, W.: Studien über die wilden und domestizierten Tylopoden Südamerikas. Zool. Garten, N. F. 19, 70–98 (1952)
Herre, W., Röhrs, M.: Haustiere — zoologisch gesehen. Stuttgart: Fischer 1973
Ingle, D.: Evolutionary perspectives on the function of the optic tectum. Brain Behav. Evol. 8, 211–237 (1973)
Karamanlidis, A. N., Magras, J.: Retinal projections in domestic ungulates. I. The retinal projections in the sheep and the pig. Brain Res. 44, 127–145 (1972)
LeGros Clark, W. E.: The visual centres of the brain and their connexions. Physiol. Rev. 22, 205–232 (1942)
Milart, Z., Szteyn, S., Chomiak, M., Welenton, J.: Experimental investigations on the visual centres in the sheep. Part II. J. Hirnforsch. 14, 227–232 (1973)
Minkowski, M.: Über den Verlauf, die Endigungen und die tentrale Repräsentation von gekreuzten und ungekreuzten Sehnervenfasern bei einigen Säugetieren und beim Menschen. Schweiz. Arch. Neurol. Psychait. 6, 201–252 (1920)
Nichterlein, O. E., Goldby, F.: An experimental study of optic connexions in the sheep. J. Anat. (Lond.) 78, 59–67 (1944)
Polyak, S.: The vertebrate visual system, 2nd ed. Chicago: Univ. Press 1968
Röhrs, M.: Vergleichende Untersuchungen an Wild- und Hauskatzen. Zool. Anz. 155, 53–69 (1955)
Rose, J. E.: The thalamus of the sheep: cellular and fibrous structure and comparison with pig, rabbit and cat. J. comp. Neurol. 77, 469–523 (1942)
Snyder, M., Diamond, I. T.: The organization and functon of the visual cortex in the tree shrew. Brain Behav. Ecol. 1, 244–288 (1968)
Stephan, H.: Quantitative investigations on visual structures in primate brains. Proc. 2nd Internat. Congr. Primat. Atlanta 3, 34–42 (1969)
Vastola, E. F.: Localisation of visual functions in the mammalian brain: a review. Brain Behav. Evol. 1, 420–471 (1968)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Direktor: Prof. Dr. M. Röhrs
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ebinger, P. Quantitative investigations of visual brain structures in wild and domestic sheep. Anat Embryol 146, 313–323 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00302177
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00302177