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Observations on the brain of the coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae : External anatomy and quantitative analysis
Author(s) -
Northcutt R. Glenn,
Neary Timothy J.,
Senn David G.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.1051550205
Subject(s) - biology , cerebrum , anatomy , cerebellum , body weight , fish <actinopterygii> , brain anatomy , amphibian , zoology , paleontology , neuroscience , fishery , central nervous system , endocrinology , medicine , radiology , magnetic resonance imaging
New data on the brain of Latimeria indicate that previous estimates of the brain weight were too high by a factor of two. Our data suggest a brain weight of 1.1‐1.5 grams for a specimen with a body weight of 30 kilograms. Quantitative data on major divisions of the brain are presented for the first time, and the relative size of the major brain divisions is similar to that of sturgeons and generalized sharks (such as hexanchids and squalids). Examination of brain component weight (s): body weight plots in a sample of non‐teleost actinopterygian fishes indicates that all major divisions of the brain, except the telencephalon, are larger than in Latimeria. Brain component sizes in Latimeria are more similar to those extrapolated for amphibian brains than to those for actinopterygians. However, the cerebellum of Latimeria is considerably larger than that of amphibians.