High-resolution African savanna elephant whole-brain neuroanatomy

Our understanding of the fine structure of large mammalian brains is underdeveloped. We know that larger brains are more than just scaled-up smaller brains: they show distinct features such as lower neuron density and altered glia-to-neuron ratio and it remains unclear how whole-brain neuroanatomy scales. Of all terrestrial animals, elephants have the largest brains. Elephants are unique animals with remarkable neural specialization for trunk sensorimotor processing and memory. Conventional techniques like magnetic resonance imaging lack the resolution required for fine-scale investigation. We plan to scan a complete elephant brain using hierarchical phase-contrast tomography (HiP-CT). A complete high-resolution elephant brain scan has decisive advantages: (i) synchrotron X-ray imaging is uniquely suited; (ii) elephant brains are fascinating; (iii) we provide rich contextual expertise on elephant neurobiology; (iv) the study of large brains at high resolution is a neglected topic.