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Visual motion integration by neurons in the middle temporal area of a New World monkey, the marmoset
Author(s) -
Solomon Selina S.,
Tailby Chris,
Gharaei Saba,
Camp Aaron J.,
Bourne James A.,
Solomon Samuel G.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.213520
Subject(s) - marmoset , macaque , neuroscience , primate , visual cortex , callithrix , biology , motion perception , motion (physics) , receptive field , computer science , artificial intelligence , paleontology , perception
Non‐technical summary The machinery of motion vision is highly conserved across New World and Old World monkeys, according to our study of the marmoset visual cortex. The marmoset is a New World primate, part of a lineage that diverged from Old World monkeys some 30–40 million years ago. A small part of the cerebral cortex, area MT, can be identified anatomically in both New and Old World primates. In the macaque, an Old World primate, this area is thought to be important in analysing the motion of complex patterns. Here we quantified the capacity of neurons in area MT of marmosets to extract motion from complex patterns. We find the responses of neurons in area MT of marmosets to be indistinguishable from those in macaques, suggesting that the functional role of this small area of the visual cortex is highly conserved over evolution.