Selective expansion of motor cortical projections in the evolution of vocal novelty

Banerjee, Arkarup, Isko, Emily, Harpole, Clifford, Zheng, Xiaoyue, Zhan, Huiqing, Davis, Martin, Zador, Anthony (September 2024) Selective expansion of motor cortical projections in the evolution of vocal novelty. bioRxiv. ISSN 2692-8205 (Submitted)

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Abstract

Deciphering how cortical architecture evolves to drive behavioral innovations is a long-standing challenge in neuroscience and evolutionary biology. Here, we leverage a striking behavioral novelty in the Alston's singing mouse (Scotinomys teguina), compared to the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus), to quantitatively test models of motor cortical evolution. We used bulk tracing, serial two-photon tomography, and high-throughput DNA sequencing of over 76,000 barcoded neurons to discover a specific and substantial expansion (~200%) of orofacial motor cortical (OMC) projections to the auditory cortical region (AudR) and the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG), both implicated in vocal behaviors. Moreover, analysis of individual OMC neurons' projection motifs revealed preferential expansion of exclusive projections to AudR. Our results imply that selective expansion of ancestral motor cortical projections can underlie behavioral divergence over short evolutionary timescales, suggesting potential mechanisms for the evolution of enhanced cortical control over vocalizations, a crucial preadaptation for human language.

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: organism description > animal
organism description > animal > mammal
organism description > animal > mammal > rodent > mouse
neurobiology
neurobiology > neuroscience
organism description > animal > mammal > rodent
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Zador lab
CSHL labs > Banerjee lab
SWORD Depositor: CSHL Elements
Depositing User: CSHL Elements
Date: 14 September 2024
Date Deposited: 16 Sep 2024 18:43
Last Modified: 16 Sep 2024 18:43
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/41670

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