IdiscussinwhatfollowsthethalamusproperandstructuresofthecaudaldiencephalonthatformwhatIcallthewiderthalamus.Myapproachaimsatrelatingsimilaritiesanddifferencesinthezebrafishbraintodefiningfeaturesofthemammalianthalamusproper.First,IexaminetheprosomericBauplanofthezebrafishforebrainandrecentfindingsthatsubdividethethalamusproperintoarostralandacaudalpart.ThenIlookatbrainregionsthatqualifyeitherasthalamusproperorasthalamus-likestructures.Myclosingfocusisplacedonthefunctionalorganizationoftwoascendingsensorysystemsinteleosts:theacousticandthevisual.Whiletheauditorypathwaygivesacaseofconservation,thevisualpathwayillustratesacaseofnon-conservation.
Theauthordeclaresthattheresearchwasconductedintheabsenceofanycommercialorfinancialrelationshipsthatcouldbeconstruedasapotentialconflictofinterest.
IthankWolfgangDrieverandAlidaFilippiforcriticalcommentsonthemanuscript,andSteffiDippoldforhereditorialwork.ThisworkwassupportedbyresearchgrantstoWolfgangDrieverfromEUFP7(ZF-HEALTH/Proj.No.242048)andtheFreiburgInstituteforAdvancedStudies.
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Keywords:isocortex,forebrain,ray-finnedfish,reticularthalamicnucleus,teleost,thalamiceminence,thalamocortical
Citation:MuellerT(2012)Whatisthethalamusinzebrafish.Front.Neurosci.6:64.doi:10.3389/fnins.2012.00064
Received:01February2012;Paperpendingpublished:13February2012;Accepted:11April2012;Publishedonline:07May2012.
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