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Updated: Jun 3, 2025

The Gateway to the Brain: Dissecting the Primate Eye
Published on: May 27, 2009
Why do primates have view cells instead of place cells?
1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A5B7; Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A5B7; Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A5B7.
Abstract:
Hippocampal place cells that encode the spatial location of an individual during navigation are widely reported in rodents. However, studies in primates have instead reported hippocampal cells that encode views of the environment. Evolutionary adaptations for navigating during night and day may explain the divergence of hippocampal representations between species.
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