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Evidence of decrease in brain size in ranch mink, Mustela vison f. dom., during subadult postnatal ontogenesis
1Institut für Haustierkunde, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, BRD.
Brain, Behavior and Evolution
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Mink brain development shows an unusual size overshoot before adulthood, with significant decreases in most brain parts after reaching peak size. This phenomenon is linked to age-dependent growth patterns.
Area of Science:
- Comparative neuroanatomy
- Mammalian developmental biology
Background:
- Understanding postnatal brain maturation is crucial for altricial species.
- Ranch mink (Neovison vison) offer a model for studying growth and domestication effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify postnatal brain growth and maturation in ranch mink.
- To investigate age- and body size-dependent changes in brain volume.
Main Methods:
- Histological sections were used to calculate brain and brain part volumes.
- Allometrical calculations were performed based on body weight.
- Brains from juvenile, subadult, and adult mink were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Brain part size changes were age-dependent, not body size-dependent.
- Total brain size remained stable from juvenile to subadult stages, then decreased.
- Most brain regions decreased in volume after the subadult stage, with notable exceptions like the medulla oblongata.
Conclusions:
- Ranch mink exhibit an 'overshoot' phenomenon in brain size before reaching adulthood.
- This developmental pattern may be influenced by domestication, caging, or seasonal changes.
- The findings contribute to understanding unusual growth patterns in mammals.