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Modular Organization of Layer 4A of Area V1

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What is MOCA?
MOCA FAQ...
Human Uniqueness Compared to "Great Apes": 
Likely Difference
MOCA Domain: 
Neuroscience
MOCA Topic Authors: 
Todd M Preuss

Layer 4A of the primary visual area (V1; area 17; striate cortex) has a distinctive organization in humans: a meshwork of neurons and neurites that express markers for the magnocellular visual pathway (Cat-301, nonphosphorylated neurofilament protein (NPNF), microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2)), embedded within which are clusters of small, calbindin-containing neurons.  Chimpanzees, Old World monkeys, and New World monkeys do not exhibit significant expression of Cat-301 in layer 4A, and the organization of neurites expressing NPNF and MAP2 is different in nonhuman primates.

Related MOCA Topics
Timing

Timing of Appearance of the Difference in the Hominin Lineage.

For this entry assume that

  • the common ancestor of humans and old world monkeys was 25000 thousand (25 million) years ago
  • the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees was 6000 thousand (6 million) years ago
  • the emergence of the genus Homo was 2000 thousand (2 million) years ago
  • the common ancestor of modern humans was 100 thousand years ago

 

Possible Appearance: 
6000 Thousand Years
Definite Appearance: 
100 Thousand Years
References: 

Preuss TM, Coleman GQ (2002) Human-specific organization of primary visual cortex: alternating compartments of dense Cat-301 and calbindin immunoreactivity in layer 4A. Cereb Cortex 12:671-691.Preuss TM, Qi H, Kaas JH (1999) Distinctive compartmental organization of human primary visual cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96:11601-11606.