Montgomery_et_al-2016-The_Journal_of_Comparative_Neurology.pdf (2.03 MB)
Brain composition in Heliconius butterflies, post-eclosion growth and experience-dependent neuropil plasticity
journal contribution
posted on 2016-03-07, 11:54 authored by S. H. Montgomery, R. M. Merrill, Swidbert Roger OttBehavioral and sensory adaptations are often reflected in the differential expansion of brain components. These volumetric differences represent changes in cell number, size and/or connectivity, which may denote changes in the functional and evolutionary relationships between different brain regions, and between brain composition and behavioral ecology. Here, we describe the brain composition of two species of Heliconius butterflies, a long-standing study system for investigating ecological adaptation and speciation. We confirm a previous report of a striking volumetric expansion of the mushroom body, and explore patterns of differential post-eclosion and experience-dependent plasticity between different brain regions. This analysis uncovers age- and experience-dependent post-eclosion mushroom body growth comparable to that in foraging Hymenoptera, but also identifies plasticity in several other neuropils. An interspecific analysis indicates that Heliconius display a remarkably large investment in mushroom bodies for a lepidopteran, and indeed rank highly compared to other insects. Our analyses lay the foundation for future comparative and experimental analyses that will establish Heliconius as a valuable case study in evolutionary neurobiology.
History
Citation
Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2016 524:1747–1769Author affiliation
/Organisation/COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND PSYCHOLOGY/MBSP Non-Medical Departments/Neuroscience, Psychology and BehaviourVersion
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Published in
Journal of Comparative NeurologyPublisher
Wiley for Wiley-Lississn
0021-9967eissn
1096-9861Acceptance date
2016-02-15Copyright date
2016Available date
2017-04-04Publisher DOI
Publisher version
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cne.23993/abstractNotes
The file associated with this record is under a 12-month embargo from publication in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. The full text may be available through the publisher links provided above.Language
enAdministrator link
Usage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC