Quantitative phylogenetic constancy of cerebellar purkinje cell morphological complexity

Golgi‐stained material of cerebellar cortices from 17 species was examined by measuring the fractal dimensions of the borders of Purkinje cells, which is a quantitative, objective measure of morphological complexity. Nine species (from birds to man) were chosen for a comparison with ANOVA and no statistically significant differences were found in their fractal dimensions. In contrast, a wide range of differences was found in the membrane areas across species lines. The Sholl coefficient, a measure of branch formation and temination and termination away from the soma, showed no consistent pattern for each cell. We interpret our results as indicating a constancy in morphological cellular complexity of Purkinje cells during late evolutionary time. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.