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The mole nose instructs the brain

K C Catania¹, J H Kaas

¹Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA.

Somatosensory & Motor Research

|January 1, 1997

Summary

Star-nosed moles with an extra nasal ray showed a corresponding increase in brain representation. This suggests peripheral morphology directly influences the structure of the somatosensory cortex.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Comparative anatomy

Background:

The star-nosed mole possesses unique facial sensory organs called rays.
The primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in mammals exhibits topographic organization.
Previous research indicates a correlation between peripheral structures and cortical maps.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between peripheral morphology and the central nervous system representation in the star-nosed mole.
To determine if variations in the number of nasal rays correlate with changes in the somatosensory cortex structure.

Main Methods:

Examined cytochrome oxidase preparations of the primary somatosensory cortex in a star-nosed mole with an atypical number of nasal rays.
Compared the observed cortical structure with the known morphology of the mole's nasal appendages (rays).

Main Results:

The star-nosed mole studied had 12 rays on each side of its nose, deviating from the typical 11.
The primary somatosensory cortex of this mole displayed 12 distinct bands, corresponding to the 12 nasal rays.
Each ray was represented by a dark band in cytochrome oxidase preparations, separated by light septa.

Conclusions:

The findings provide strong evidence that the peripheral structure (number of nasal rays) dictates the morphological organization of the primary somatosensory cortex.
This study reinforces the concept of "topographic mapping" where sensory organ structure directly influences brain representation.

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