A comparative framework for neocortical sulcal anatomy in pinnipeds
- 1University of Vienna
Abstract
The transition of pinnipeds from terrestrial ancestors into marine environments provides a unique opportunity to examine how cortical organisation has changed with adaptation to life in water. Here, we examined neocortical sulcal anatomy in nine species representing all three extant pinniped families using cortical surfaces reconstructed from post-mortem MRI. Building on a standardised framework previously established for land-dwelling (fissiped) carnivorans, we developed identification criteria for major pinniped sulci and compared their configurations with those observed across fissipeds. Major sulci were broadly conserved, but pinnipeds exhibited characteristic modifications, including a complex, highly branched pseudosylvian configuration and distinct frontoparietal sulcal patterns, with further family-level variation in both territories. This observed variation in sulcal patterns may reflect pronounced differences in locomotor, tactile, and vocal specialisations, generating hypotheses about how cortical organisation may vary with adaptation to marine environments. Together, these findings establish a common anatomical framework across Carnivora for investigating how cortical organisation diversified in relation to behaviour and ecology.
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BibTeX
@misc{boch2026comparative,
title = {{A comparative framework for neocortical sulcal anatomy in pinnipeds}},
author = {M. Boch and K. Avelino-de-Souza and S. Binder and N. Patzke and R. A. Benn and H. Mynssen and K. K. Tha and K. Taverna Chaim and B. Wicinski and C. Y. Tang and P. R. Manger and A. A. Rouse and P. R. Hof and P. F. Cook and R. B. Mars},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.17.752275},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.17.752275v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A comparative framework for neocortical sulcal anatomy in pinnipeds
AU - M. Boch
AU - K. Avelino-de-Souza
AU - S. Binder
AU - N. Patzke
AU - R. A. Benn
AU - H. Mynssen
AU - K. K. Tha
AU - K. Taverna Chaim
AU - B. Wicinski
AU - C. Y. Tang
AU - P. R. Manger
AU - A. A. Rouse
AU - P. R. Hof
AU - P. F. Cook
AU - R. B. Mars
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/17
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.17.752275
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.17.752275v1
AB - The transition of pinnipeds from terrestrial ancestors into marine environments provides a unique opportunity to examine how cortical organisation has changed with adaptation to life in water. Here, we examined neocortical sulcal anatomy in nine species representing all three extant pinniped families using cortical surfaces reconstructed from post-mortem MRI. Building on a standardised framework previously established for land-dwelling (fissiped) carnivorans, we developed identification criteria for major pinniped sulci and compared their configurations with those observed across fissipeds. Major sulci were broadly conserved, but pinnipeds exhibited characteristic modifications, including a complex, highly branched pseudosylvian configuration and distinct frontoparietal sulcal patterns, with further family-level variation in both territories. This observed variation in sulcal patterns may reflect pronounced differences in locomotor, tactile, and vocal specialisations, generating hypotheses about how cortical organisation may vary with adaptation to marine environments. Together, these findings establish a common anatomical framework across Carnivora for investigating how cortical organisation diversified in relation to behaviour and ecology.
ER -