Definition
Birds share large brain–body ratios with mammals, although enlargement of their forebrain is more variable across species, and innovations in various parts of the brainstem have also occurred. The diencephalon and telencephalon both show enlargement and elaboration as compared with reptiles, particularly including the dorsal ventricular ridge (DVR) and Wulst regions of the pallium. The latter occupies much more of the telencephalic territory than previously realized. While possible homologies with mammalian brain structures are unresolved, the avian pallium similarly is in receipt of the major ascending sensory pathways, gives rise to descending corticospinal-like pathways, and is involved in motor control circuits with the basal ganglia and cerebellum. Further, avian brains exhibit considerable lability, as evidenced by the presence of novel nuclei for the vocalization (e.g., song) system.
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Origin and Evolution of Avian Brains
The prevailing view of the...
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We are grateful to G. Striedter for useful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.
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© 2009 Springer-Verlag GmbH Berlin Heidelberg
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Kubke, M.F., Wild, J.M. (2009). Evolution of the Brain in Birds. In: Binder, M.D., Hirokawa, N., Windhorst, U. (eds) Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_3150
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_3150
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