The Central Nervous System of Vertebrates

This comprehensive reference is clearly destined to become the definitive anatomical basis for all molecular neuroscience research. The three volumes provide a complete overview and comparison of the structural organisation of all vertebrate groups, ranging from amphioxus and lamprey through fishes, amphibians and birds to mammals. This thus allows a systematic treatment of the concepts and methodology found in modern comparative neuroscience. Neuroscientists, comparative morphologists and anatomists will all benefit from: 1,200 detailed and standardised neuroanatomical drawings the illustrations were painstakingly hand-drawn by a team of graphic designers, specially commissioned by the authors, over a period of 25 years functional correlations of vertebrate brains concepts and methodology of modern comparative neuroscience five full-colour posters giving an overview of the central nervous system of the vertebrates, ideal for mounting and displayThis monumental work is, and will remain, unique; the only source of such brilliant illustrations at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels. This book presents a comprehensive account of the structural organisation of all vertebrate groups, ranging from amphioxus and lamprey through fishes, amphibians and birds to mammals. It covers and synthesises one and a half century's research, placing it in the context of the wealth of findings obtained with modern techniques, such as track tracing with different markers, immunohistochemistry and gene mapping. Although the work focusses on structure, functional correlations are provided throughout. The large specialised section of the work, devoted to the central nervous system of the various vertebrate groups, is preceded by introductory chapters dealing with neurons, cell masses, fibre tracts, morphogenesis, histogenesis and techniques. The concepts and methodology of modern comparative neuroscience are systematically treated. A concluding chapter surveys the major fields and "levels" of current comparative neurobiology. An outstanding feature of the work is the presence of numerous especially commissioned detailed and standardized illustrations at both the macroscopic and microscopic level. This three-volume work, including five colour posters, and the Human Central Nervous System (R. Nieuwenhuys et al. 1988, 3rd edn., 4th edn. forthcoming), constitute together a unique reference work for the central nervous system of all vertebrates.