Chapter 4: Neural Morphology

Question 1

how does the brain size of mytecetes compare to odondecetes?

Answer 1

Mysticetes<odontocetes

Question 2

Explain the ‘big brain evolution’.

Answer 2

• Co-Evolution

- Humans, Whales, Elephants

Question 3

Social Intelligence Hypothesis

Answer 3

• not challenges in physical environment but social environment (cooperation, coordination, recognition of others, deception) lead to a flexible, intelligent mind.
• social interaction shapes the brain.

Question 4

name the 7 main areas of the brain

Answer 4

• Telencephaton
• Cranial nerves
• Diencephalon
• Midbrain
• Pons
• Myencephalon
• Cerebellum

Question 5

Where in the brain will you find optic inputs, processing and receiving center for vestibular and auditory systems, skin sense, and Echo Location?

Answer 5

The midbrain

Question 6

Where in the brain occurs the inputs to and from regions of the brain to the cerebellum?

Answer 6

Pons

Question 7

Where does the brain process stress and fine regulation of movement?

Answer 7

Telencephaton

Question 8

Where in the brain are the ‘thalamus?

What do the ‘thalamuses do?

Answer 8

Diencephalon.

• epi: visceral & pineal control over olfactory reflexes
• sub: etrapyrimidal motor skills
• hypo: endocrine glands, tone, arousal, emotion
• dorsal: sensory & motor info to cerebral cortex

Question 9

Where are the somatic and visceral nerves? (eyes, tongue, muscle of jaw, face larynx, pharynx)

Answer 9

Myencephalon

Medula oblongata

Question 10

Where in the brain is the control of the position of the body in space and time, sensorimotor commands?

Answer 10

Cerebellum

Question 11

Where in the brain is the olfactory nerve, opti nerve large vestibulocochlear nerve? what do they do?

Answer 11

cranial nerves.

• ol: reproduction, secretions, vocalisation.
  op: obs.
  vesti: brainstem nuclei of auditory system

Question 12

What class of neurons are responsible for imitation, empathy, language, and theory of mind?

Answer 12

mirror neurons.

Question 13

Which species share the mirror neurons?

Answer 13

elephants, primates, dolphins, whales, and birds.

Question 14

where in the brain do they process echolocation?

Answer 14

midbrain

Question 15

What do seals use to see if females are ripe?

Answer 15

Olfactory

Question 16

Why aren’t whales aggressive? as in fight each other, other whales, people?

Answer 16

They have a small basal ganglia

-> reduces their response to anger and stress

Question 17

Name aspects of dolphin intelligence

Answer 17

• self-aware beings
• individual personalities
• mimicry (vocal and gesture)
• vocal learning; dialects, signature whistles
• cultural traditions (sponge feeding, dialects)
• individualized tight and long lived societies
• strong social bond between individuals
• suffering in captivity; stress and trauma that often leads to death.

Question 18

name four argued reasons to keep marine mammals in captivity

Answer 18

• cognitive studies
• echolocation
• physiology
• educational value

Question 19

eye nerve

Answer 19

optic nerve

• weak in river dolphin
• weaker in all m.mamms. than humans

Question 20

nose nerve

Answer 20

olfactory nerve

• strong in seals
• myst: only in fetus
• odont: present in fetus and adult

Question 21

mouth nerve
(function, and the diff between myst and odont)

Answer 21

trigeminal nerve

• innervates chemoreceptors in the tongue and oral cavity
• analogous to taste receptors
• heightened in mystecetes. Odonts get their extra sensory powers from their melon.

Question 22

face nerve

Answer 22

facial and intermediate nerves

• controls blowholes
• changing shape of the melon

Question 23

ear nerve

Answer 23

vestibucochlear nerve  (Vesty-bucock-lear)
-thickest

Question 24

the other two last nerves

Answer 24

hypoglossal and glossopharangeal (visceral functions)

Question 25

cerebral cortex:

• where
• what
• 3 parts

Answer 25

• telencephalon with basal ganglia
• extreme gyrification of the brain
• allocortex, archicortex, neocortex