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Overview of Sensory Systems of Tarsius

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Abstract

Tarsiers form the sister taxon to anthropoid primates, and their brains possess a mix of primitive and specialized features. We describe architectonically distinct subdivisions of the somatosensory, auditory, and visual systems for tarsiers, as well as nocturnal New World owl monkeys (Aotus) and strepsirhine galagos (Otolemur) for comparison. In general, the dorsal column nuclei, the ventroposterior nucleus, and primary somatosensory cortex are somewhat less distinctly differentiated in tarsiers, suggesting that the somatosensory system is less specialized for somatosensory processing. Although the inferior colliculus and the medial geniculate complex of the auditory system are architectonically similar across the 3 primates, the primary auditory cortex of tarsiers is more distinct, suggesting a greater role in auditory cortical processing. In the visual system, the differentiation of the superior colliculus is similar in all 3 primates, whereas the laminar pattern in the lateral geniculate nucleus and the subdivisions of the inferior pulvinar in tarsiers resemble those of anthropoid primates rather than strepsirhines, in agreement with the evidence that tarsiers form the sister clade for anthropoids. In addition, primary visual cortex has more distinct sublayers in tarsiers than other primates, attesting to its importance in this visual predator. Overall, tarsiers have well developed visual and auditory systems, and a less well developed somatosensory system, suggesting an enhanced reliance on the visual and auditory senses, rather than somatosensory sense.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Anita Hendrickson for providing 3 adult brains of Tarsius spectrum for histological study. The fourth brain was from the histological collection of Dr. J. M. Petras. We thank the reviewers for helpful comments on the manuscript. Funds to support this research were from Vanderbilt University to J. H. Kaas and a grant from the National Eye Institute, EY 02686 to J. H. Kaas.

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  1. Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA

    Peiyan Wong, Christine E. Collins & Jon H. Kaas

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  1. Peiyan Wong
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Correspondence to Jon H. Kaas.

Appendix

Appendix

Abbreviations

A1

Primary auditory area

CB

Calbindin

CN

Cuneate nucleus

CO

Cytochrome oxidase

GN

Gracile nucleus

IC

Inferior colliculus

K

Koniocellular

LGN

Lateral geniculate nucleus

M

Magnocellular

MGC

Medial geniculate complex

MGd

Medial geniculate dorsal nucleus

MGm

Medial geniculate magnocellular nucleus

MGv

Medial geniculate ventral nucleus

MT

Middle temporal visual area

P

Parvocellular

PI

Inferior pulvinar

PIcl

Inferior pulvinar central lateral subdivision

PIcm

Inferior pulvinar central medal subdivision

PIm

Inferior pulvinar medial subdivision

PIp

Inferior pulvinar posterior subdivision

Pv

Parietal ventral area

PV

Parvalbumin

R

Rostral auditory area

S1

Primary somatosensory cortex (Area 3b)

S2

Secondary somatosensory cortex

SC

Superior colliculus

SG

Suprageniculate nucleus

TBS

Tris buffered saline

V1

Primary visual area

V2

Secondary visual area

VP

Ventroposterior nucleus

VPI

Ventroposterior inferior nucleus

VPL

Ventroposterior lateral nucleus

VPM

Ventroposterior medial nucleus

VPS

Ventroposterior superior nucleus

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Wong, P., Collins, C.E. & Kaas, J.H. Overview of Sensory Systems of Tarsius . Int J Primatol 31, 1002–1031 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-009-9388-4

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