Comparative anatomy of the caudate nucleus in canids and felids: Associations with brain size, curvature, cross-sectional properties, and behavioral ecology

Michael Foster; Sai Dwibhashyam; Devan Patel; Kanika Gupta; Olivia C Matz; Brendon K Billings; Kathleen Bitterman; Mads Bertelson; Cheuk Y Tang; Rogier B Mars; Mary Ann Raghanti; Patrick R Hof; Chet C Sherwood; Paul R Manger; Muhammad A Spocter

doi:10.1002/cne.25618

Comparative anatomy of the caudate nucleus in canids and felids: Associations with brain size, curvature, cross-sectional properties, and behavioral ecology

J Comp Neurol. 2024 May;532(5):e25618. doi: 10.1002/cne.25618.

Authors

Michael Foster¹, Sai Dwibhashyam¹, Devan Patel¹, Kanika Gupta¹, Olivia C Matz¹, Brendon K Billings², Kathleen Bitterman¹, Mads Bertelson³, Cheuk Y Tang⁴, Rogier B Mars^{5

6}, Mary Ann Raghanti⁷, Patrick R Hof^{8

9}, Chet C Sherwood¹⁰, Paul R Manger², Muhammad A Spocter^{1

2

11}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
² School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.
³ Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
⁴ Departments of Radiology and Psychiatry, BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.
⁵ Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
⁶ Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
⁷ Department of Anthropology and School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA.
⁸ Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.
⁹ New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
¹¹ College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA.

PMID: 38686628
DOI: 10.1002/cne.25618

Abstract

The evolutionary history of canids and felids is marked by a deep time separation that has uniquely shaped their behavior and phenotype toward refined predatory abilities. The caudate nucleus is a subcortical brain structure associated with both motor control and cognitive, emotional, and executive functions. We used a combination of three-dimensional imaging, allometric scaling, and structural analyses to compare the size and shape characteristics of the caudate nucleus. The sample consisted of MRI scan data obtained from six canid species (Canis lupus lupus, Canis latrans, Chrysocyon brachyurus, Lycaon pictus, Vulpes vulpes, Vulpes zerda), two canid subspecies (Canis lupus familiaris, Canis lupus dingo), as well as three felids (Panthera tigris, Panthera uncia, Felis silvestris catus). Results revealed marked conservation in the scaling and shape attributes of the caudate nucleus across species, with only slight deviations. We hypothesize that observed differences in caudate nucleus size and structure for the domestic canids are reflective of enhanced cognitive and emotional pathways that possibly emerged during domestication.

Keywords: Carnivora; RRID:SCR_002010; RRID:SCR_003430; RRID:SCR_005988; brain; caudate nucleus; scaling.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Animals
Behavior, Animal / physiology
Brain / anatomy & histology
Canidae* / anatomy & histology
Caudate Nucleus* / anatomy & histology
Caudate Nucleus* / diagnostic imaging
Felidae* / anatomy & histology
Felidae* / physiology
Female
Magnetic Resonance Imaging* / methods
Male
Species Specificity

Grants and funding

BB/N019814/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom