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The evolution of cerebellum structure correlates with nest complexity

Hall, Z.J.; Street, S.E.; Healy, S.D.

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Authors

Z.J. Hall

S.D. Healy



Abstract

Across the brains of different bird species, the cerebellum varies greatly in the amount of surface folding (foliation). The degree of cerebellar foliation is thought to correlate positively with the processing capacity of the cerebellum, supporting complex motor abilities, particularly manipulative skills. Here, we tested this hypothesis by investigating the relationship between cerebellar foliation and species-typical nest structure in birds. Increasing complexity of nest structure is a measure of a bird's ability to manipulate nesting material into the required shape. Consistent with our hypothesis, avian cerebellar foliation increases as the complexity of the nest built increases, setting the scene for the exploration of nest building at the neural level.

Citation

Hall, Z., Street, S., & Healy, S. (2013). The evolution of cerebellum structure correlates with nest complexity. Biology Letters, 9(6), Article 20130687. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0687

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 7, 2013
Online Publication Date Dec 4, 2013
Publication Date Dec 4, 2013
Deposit Date Aug 9, 2017
Publicly Available Date Aug 24, 2017
Journal Biology Letters
Print ISSN 1744-9561
Electronic ISSN 1744-957X
Publisher The Royal Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 9
Issue 6
Article Number 20130687
DOI https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0687

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