NON-THALAMIC PATHWAY CONTRIBUTES TO A WHOLE-BODY MAP IN THE BRAIN OF THE BUDGERIGAR

Nucleus basalis (Bas) of the budgerigar contains an ordered, but disto rted, somatotopic representation of the whole body, as does the primar y somatosensory cortex (SI) of mammals. Unlike SI, however, the beak a nd body regions of Bas receive their sensory input via disynaptic path ways relaying in the pens. That to the body parts originates in a prev iously undescribed nucleus that receives its inputs from primary affer ents via a novel, ipsilateral somatosensory pathway.