brain plasticity: migratory birds show it (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, February 24, 2016, 21:32 (2986 days ago) @ BBella

Scientists have shown that areas of a migratory bird's brain are larger to handle the knowledge of travel:-https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160224070056.htm-"Birds that migrate the greatest distances have more new neurons in the regions of the brain responsible for navigation and spatial orientation, suggests a new paper published in Scientific Reports.-***-" In reed warblers, birds that migrate as individuals at night, new neurons were found mainly in the hippocampus -- a region associated with navigation. In turtle doves, a species that migrates as a group, the new neurons were found mainly in the nidopallium caudolateral, an area associated with communication skills.-***-"Then, these migration distances were compared with the amount of new neurons incorporated into the birds' brains. This was done by selectively colouring brain cells in several relevant regions: once -- for identifying new cells, and then a few weeks again for identifying neuron cells. Those coloured twice were identified as new neurons. The researchers discovered that both species show a trend of increasing new neurons in line with migration distance and that different brain regions were affected.-***-"What we humans do during the day may actually make us more "brainy" as our regular activities may actually determine how our brains adapt and in which areas. In the long term, there are implications for how species evolve. For example, other research already suggests that birds that hoard food in particular periods incorporate new neurons in brain regions responsible for memory and spatial orientation. This latest paper builds on that work, suggesting that birds that need greater navigational help have more new neurons in that part of the brain while those that need to keep up with the flock incorporate new neurons in a different area.'"-Comment: Same story. Brains will develop new neurons to help with new activity. Same pattern for all animals with brain, I'll bet.