[Morphological and histological study of neocortex of bovides (Antilopinae, Cephalophinae) and Tragulidae with...

1. Macroscopical and histological studies on the neocortex of the cerebrum of small Artiodactyla (Tragulidae, Cephalophinae, Antilopinae) lead to some informations on the level of evolution of these animals. 2. A big part of the macroscopical investigations (pattern of sulci, relations between bodyweight and brainweight on the one hand and surface of neocortex on the other hand) already had been realized by HAARMANN and OBOUSSIER (1972). Therefore in this paper only the results for the Tragulidae and Cephalophus sylvicultor are added. The first are relatively primitive, while the latter obviously is a higher developed animal. C. sylvicultor fits into the general scheme of the brain of the Cephalophinae. 3. The investigations are complemented by microscopical investigations (histology of the neocortex: number of nerve cells per volume unit, gray cell and cortex coefficient, thickness of the neocortex). The knowledge of the evolution level obtained by macroscopical methods is confirmed. The Tragulidae are clearly separated from the other Artiodactyla as primitive animals, whereas the Cephalophinae measured with the cortex coefficient are the most developed, most "intelligent" Bovidae so far analyzed in this paper. The Antilopinae reach only lower coefficients. This subfamily may be separated into three groups (Antilopini, Neotragini, Oreotragus). The differences between the Antilopinae and the Cephalophinae are not so striking as between these Bovidae and the Tragulidae.