The cytoarchitecture of the cochlear nuclear complex of two species of bats: Carollia perspicillata and Phyllostomus hastatus (original) (raw)

The study was done to document and compare the cytoarchitectural details of the cochlear nuclear complex (CNC) in two species of bats with different forage strategies, Carollia perspicillata (fruit eating) and Phyllostomus hastatus (carnivorous/omnivorous). The CNC was larger and the subdivisions were distinct in P.hastatus than the C.perspillata. The CNC of both bats comprised of two main divisions: dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) and ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN). The DCN of both bats was further subdivided into two subdivisions: dorsomedial and ventromedial whereas the VCN was subdivided into three: anteroventral (AVCN), posteroventral (PVCN) and a ventrolateral (LVCN). The main cell type of the DCN was small round cells measuring approximately 5 µm in diameter in both bats. The AVCN was principally made up of large multipolar cells (approximately 17 µm in diameter in C.perspicillata and 17-32 µm diameters in P.hastatus).The PVCN comprised of predominantly ovals cells measuring between 7.5 and 10 µm in diameter in both the bats. The LVCN comprised of small round cells with 5 µm in diameter in both the bats. The larger CNC with distinct subdivisions and the larger sized multipolar cells in the AVCN of the P.hastatus suggest that they depend mainly on echolocation for feeding while the C.perspillata, a fruit eating bat that uses echolocation to a lesser extent.