Day Lainy B
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9610, USA.
Brain Behav Evol. 2003;62(2):96-107. doi: 10.1159/000072440.
The hippocampus or a homologous region plays a role in spatial tasks in a large number of vertebrate species. This result, in combination with recent findings of adaptive specializations of the hippocampus for spatial demands, has led to the conclusion that the prominent selective force behind hippocampal evolution was a need for spatial abilities. However, a review of non-spatial hippocampus-dependent tasks shows that many vertebrate species also share non-spatial functions of the hippocampus. Placed in the appropriate phylogenetic context, it becomes clear that non-spatial facets of hippocampal function were just as likely to be present in our vertebrate ancestors as spatial ones. In addition, the absence of spatial strategy use in three lineages suggests divergence of this feature. Divergence in this character and other characteristics of hippocampal function are meaningful indicators of lineage specific functions. Studies of the evolution of the hippocampus must include examination of spatial and non-spatial functions of the hippocampus and consider both conserved, as well as derived, features.
海马体或其同源区域在大量脊椎动物物种的空间任务中发挥作用。这一结果，结合最近关于海马体针对空间需求的适应性特化的研究发现，得出了这样的结论：海马体进化背后的显著选择力量是对空间能力的需求。然而，对依赖海马体的非空间任务的综述表明，许多脊椎动物物种也具有海马体的非空间功能。置于适当的系统发育背景下，很明显，海马体功能的非空间方面在我们的脊椎动物祖先中与空间方面同样可能存在。此外，三个谱系中空间策略使用的缺失表明了这一特征的分化。这一特征以及海马体功能的其他特征的分化是谱系特异性功能的有意义指标。对海马体进化的研究必须包括对海马体空间和非空间功能的考察，并考虑保守特征以及衍生特征。
