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The importance of developmental timing in cortical specification
Perspectives on Developmental Neurobiology
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Environmental factors influence gene expression during development, impacting species differences in brain development. In primates, thalamic inputs specify early cortical development, contributing to their sophisticated cerebral cortex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Environmental control of gene expression impacts species differences in cortical development.
- Thalamic inputs play a crucial role in specifying cortical areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of environmental factors and thalamic inputs in primate cortical specification.
- To understand species differences in the timing of corticogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Experiments in the developing visual system of primates.
- Analysis of thalamic inputs and their effect on cortical development.
Main Results:
- Thalamic inputs specify the areal limits of striate cortex in primates.
- Primates exhibit early specification of corticogenesis by thalamic afferents, unlike nonprimates.
- Certain cortical features are specified later in primates compared to nonprimates.
Conclusions:
- Afferent specification of cortex is a general feature of mammalian development.
- Early and late specification of cortical features in primates contribute to their advanced cerebral cortex sophistication.
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