The reeler Mutation and Brain Evolution

Abstract

Studies of reeler and related malformations raise issues relevant to cortical evolution, such as: Are the basic features of mammalian cortical development general and, more specifically, is the radial laminar organization of the cortex an inherent feature of every cortex per se or rather the result of gradual evolution? Information on such questions could presumably be gained by examining the development of the cerebral cortex in premammalian species, particularly reptiles, where it is the most primitive.