You may have more in common with a pigeon than you realise, according to research. It shows that humans and birds have brains that are wired in a similar way.
A researcher from Imperial College London and his colleagues have developed for the first time a map of a typical bird brain, showing how different regions are connected together to process information. By comparing it to brain diagrams for different mammals such as humans, the team discovered that areas important for high-level cognition such as long-term memory and problem solving are wired up to other regions of the brain in a similar way. This is despite the fact that both mammal and bird brains have been evolving down separate paths over hundreds of millions of years.
The team suggest that evolution has discovered a common blueprint for high-level cognition in brain development.
Birds have been shown in previous studies to possess a range of skills such as a capacity for complex social reasoning, an ability to problem solve and some have even demonstrated the capability to craft and use tools.
Professor Murray Shanahan, author of the study from the Department of Computing at Imperial College London, says:
“Birds have been evolving separately from mammals for around 300 million years, so it is hardly surprising that under a microscope the brain of a bird looks quite different from a mammal. Yet, birds have been shown to be remarkably intelligent in a similar way to mammals such as humans and monkeys. Our study demonstrates that by looking at brains that are least like our own, yet still capable of generating intelligent behaviour, we can determine the basic principles governing the way brains work.”
The team developed their map by analysing 34 studies of the anatomy of the pigeon brain, which is typical for a bird. They focussed on areas called hub nodes, which are regions of the brain that are major centres for processing information and are important for high level cognition.
In particular, they looked at the hippocampus, which is important for navigation and long-term memory in both birds and mammals. They found that these hub nodes had very dense connections to other parts of the brain in both kinds of animal, suggesting they function in a similar way.
They also compared the prefrontal cortex in mammals, which is important for complex thought such as decision making, with the nidopallium caudolaterale, which has a similar role in birds. They discovered that despite both hub nodes having evolved differently, the way they are wired up within the brain looks similar.
The long-term goal of the team is to use the information generated from the wiring diagram to build computer models that mimic the way that animal brains function, which would be used to control a robot.
The evolution of birds and mammals has separated for approximately 300 million years, so it is not unexpected that a bird’s brain appears very different from a mammal’s under a microscope. However, it has been demonstrated that birds possess a remarkable level of intelligence comparable to that of mammals like humans and monkeys. Our research shows that the fundamental ideas guiding the functioning of brains can be ascertained by examining brains that are the least similar to our own but are nevertheless able to produce intelligent behavior. .
For the first time, a team led by a researcher at Imperial College London has created a map of the typical bird brain that illustrates how various brain regions are connected to process information. The team found that brain regions crucial for higher order cognitive functions, like long-term memory and problem solving, are similarly wired to other brain regions by comparing it to brain diagrams of other mammals, including humans. This is true even though over hundreds of millions of years, the brains of mammals and birds have evolved along different trajectories.
The group proposes that evolution has identified a shared developmental blueprint for higher order cognition in the brain.
The researchers created their map by examining 34 studies that examined the typical avian brain anatomy of pigeons. They concentrated on regions of the brain known as hub nodes, which are significant hubs for information processing and crucial for higher order cognitive functions.
For the first time, a team led by a researcher at Imperial College London has created a map of the typical bird brain that illustrates how various brain regions are connected to process information. The team found that brain regions crucial for higher order cognitive functions, like long-term memory and problem solving, are similarly wired to other brain regions by comparing it to brain diagrams of other mammals, including humans. This is true even though over hundreds of millions of years, the brains of mammals and birds have evolved along different trajectories.
According to research, you and a pigeon might be more alike than you think. It demonstrates how similarly wired human and bird brains are.
Additionally, they contrasted the function of the nidopallium caudolaterale in birds with that of the prefrontal cortex in mammals, which is crucial for sophisticated thought processes like decision-making. They found that although the two hub nodes have evolved in different ways, their internal wiring within the brain is similar.
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