Local differences in the amount of early cell death in neocortex predict adult local specializations.
The amount of early cell loss in five neocortical areas was inversely related to adult numbers of neurons in those areas. Differential cell death predicted particularly the thickness of the upper cortical laminae; it was not related to neuron numbers in the lower laminae. Cell loss thus determines some features of local neocortical differentiation.
D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002470:Cell Survival; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D006224:Cricetinae