Universität zu Köln

Steinhausen, Charlene, Zehl, Lyuba ORCID: 0000-0002-5947-9939, Haas-Rioth, Michaela, Morcinek, Kerstin, Walkowiak, Wolfgang and Huggenberger, Stefan ORCID: 0000-0002-8085-5927 (2016). Multivariate Meta-Analysis of Brain-Mass Correlations in Eutherian Mammals. Front. Neuroanat., 10. LAUSANNE: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. ISSN 1662-5129

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Abstract

The general assumption that brain size differences are an adequate proxy for subtler differences in brain organization turned neurobiologists toward the question why some groups of mammals such as primates, elephants, and whales have such remarkably large brains. In this meta-analysis, an extensive sample of eutherian mammals (115 species distributed in 14 orders) provided data about several different biological traits and measures of brain size such as absolute brain mass (AB), relative brain mass (RB; quotient from AB and body mass), and encephalization quotient (EQ). These data were analyzed by established multivariate statistics without taking specific phylogenetic information into account. Species with high AB tend to (1) feed on protein-rich nutrition, (2) have a long lifespan, (3) delayed sexual maturity, and (4) long and rare pregnancies with small litter sizes. Animals with high RB usually have (1) a short life span, (2) reach sexual maturity early, and (3) have short and frequent gestations. Moreover, males of species with high RB also have few potential sexual partners. In contrast, animals with high EQs have (1) a high number of potential sexual partners, (2) delayed sexual maturity, and (3) rare gestations with small litter sizes. Based on these correlations, we conclude that Eutheria with either high AB or high EQ occupy positions at the top of the network of food chains (high trophic levels). Eutheria of low trophic levels can develop a high RB only if they have small body masses.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Steinhausen, Charlene UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Zehl, Lyuba UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-5947-9939 UNSPECIFIED Haas-Rioth, Michaela UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Morcinek, Kerstin UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Walkowiak, Wolfgang UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Huggenberger, Stefan UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-8085-5927 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-261946
DOI:	10.3389/fnana.2016.00091
Journal or Publication Title:	Front. Neuroanat.
Volume:	10
Date:	2016
Publisher:	FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
Place of Publication:	LAUSANNE
ISSN:	1662-5129
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language VON ECONOMO NEURONS; CETACEAN BRAIN; ENCEPHALIZATION QUOTIENT; SPECIES-DIFFERENCES; CEREBRAL-CORTEX; SOCIAL BRAIN; EVOLUTION; SIZE; NEOCORTEX; WEIGHT Multiple languages Anatomy & Morphology; Neurosciences Multiple languages
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/26194