Localisation visual cortex in pigs

[jamie boyd]

In article <38FDB74C.4C174E12 at nero.uni-bonn.de>, Christian Kohler 
<koehler at nero.uni-bonn.de> wrote:

> Hi!
> I am looking for any data concerning the visual cortex of dometic pig
> (sus scrofa domesticus). Any information helping me to identify the
> V1-region will be useful. Anatomical data or literatur on the pig's
> brain is welcome too.
> Thanks for your help
> 
> Chris
> 
> 
> 

Funny you should be looking at V1 in pigs, I mean they are not the most 
visual animals in the world, right? What are your interests in pig 
visual system?

My interest in pig visual system came from comparative neuroanatomy. I 
was interested in Cytochrome Oxidase blobs in species other than 
primates. When I worked in Vivien Casagrande's lab in Vanderbilt, some 
doctors down the hall worked on pigs for transplant research. One day, 
more on a lark than anything, I asked them for a pig brain. Fixed it by 
immersion in 4% paraformaldehyde, flattened the cortex, cut tangential 
sections and stained for Cytochrome Oxidase. Didn't see blobs, but from 
this experience I can tell you that CO staining is a good way to 
visualize the extent of primary visual cortex in this species, as in 
most others. Also, the pig brain looks a fair bit like the sheep brain, 
and from what I could judge in the flat sections, the extent of primary 
visual cortex was mostly similar. The sheep visual cortex has been 
studied a little bit.

Clarke PGH, Whitteridge D. The cortical visual areas of the sheep. J. 
Physiol. 1976; 256: 497-508.

Pettigrew JD, Ramachandran VS, Bravo H. Some neural connections 
subserving binocular visionin ungulates. Brain. Behav. Evol. 1984; 24: 
65-93.

and probably other references that I don't know about.

Cheers,

jamie

-- 
jboyd at sfu.ca
http://www.sfu.ca/person/jboyd
Simon Fraser University Dept. of Biological Sciences
phone: 604-291-4442 fax: 604-291-3496