title: The laminar organization of the motor cortex in monodactylous mammals: a comparative assessment based on horse, chimpanzee, and macaque.
abstract: The architecture of the neocortex classically consists of six layers, based on cytological criteria and on the layout of intra/interlaminar connections. Yet, the comparison of cortical cytoarchitectonic features across different species proves overwhelmingly difficult, due to the lack of a reliable model to analyze the connection patterns of neuronal ensembles forming the different layers. We first defined a set of suitable morphometric cell features, obtained in digitized Nissl-stained sections of the motor cortex of the horse, chimpanzee, and crab-eating macaque. We then modeled them using a quite general non-parametric data representation model, showing that the assessment of neuronal cell complexity (i.e., how a given cell differs from its neighbors) can be performed using a suitable measure of statistical dispersion such as the mean absolute deviation-mean absolute deviation (MAD). Along with the non-parametric combination and permutation methodology, application of MAD allowed not only to estimate, but also to compare and rank the motor cortical complexity across different species. As to the instances presented in this paper, we show that the pyramidal layers of the motor cortex of the horse are far more irregular than those of primates. This feature could be related to the different organizations of the motor system in monodactylous mammals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy. bruno.cozzi@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7531-7040
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cozzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo A. Gemelli 1, 20123, Milan, MI, Italy.|Faculty of Psychology, eCampus University, Novedrate, CO, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Giorgio
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peruffo
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panin
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, BO, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bombardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, BO, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grandis
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, PI, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pirone
authors.affiliation: Pathology Division, General Hospital of Dolo-Venezia, Dolo, VE, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zambenedetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Management and Engineering, University of Padova, Vicenza, VI, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corain
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo A. Gemelli 1, 20123, Milan, MI, Italy. alberto.granato@unicatt.it.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Granato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D048430:Cell Shape; D048429:Cell Size; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008252:Macaca fascicularis / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010641:Phenotype; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis; D013045:Species Specificity; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins
keywords: Chimpanzee; Crab-eating macaque; Horse; Mean absolute deviation; Motor cortex