Data from: Brain – endocast relationship in the Australian lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri, elucidated from tomographic data (Sarcopterygii: Dipnoi)

Although the brains of the three extant lungfish genera have been previously described, the spatial relationship between the brain and the neurocranium has never before been fully described nor quantified. Through the application of virtual microtomography (μCT) and 3D rendering software, we describe aspects of the gross anatomy of the brain and labyrinth region in the Australian lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri and compare this to previous accounts. Unexpected characters in this specimen include short olfactory peduncles connecting the olfactory bulbs to the telencephalon, and an oblong telencephalon. Furthermore, we illustrate the endocast (the mould of the internal space of the neurocranial cavity) of Neoceratodus, also describing and quantifying the brain-endocast relationship in a lungfish for the first time. Overall, the brain of the Australian lungfish closely matches the size and shape of the endocast cavity housing it, filling more than four fifths of the total volume. The forebrain and labyrinth regions of the brain correspond very well to the endocast morphology, while the midbrain and hindbrain do not fit so closely. Our results cast light on the gross neural and endocast anatomy in lungfishes, and are likely to have particular significance for palaeoneurologists studying fossil taxa.尽管此前已有针对三种现生肺鱼属脑部的解剖学描述，但脑部与脑颅（neurocranium）之间的空间关联，迄今从未得到完整描述与量化分析。本研究借助虚拟显微计算机断层扫描（μCT）与三维渲染软件，对澳洲肺鱼（Neoceratodus forsteri）脑部及迷路区域的大体解剖结构进行了描述，并与既往研究成果展开对比。该标本存在两处未预期的解剖特征：其一为连接嗅球与端脑（telencephalon）的短嗅柄，其二为呈长椭圆形的端脑。此外，本研究还对澳洲肺鱼的颅内铸型（endocast）——即脑颅内部空腔的铸型模型——进行了可视化呈现，并首次针对肺鱼的脑部与颅内铸型之间的关联展开描述与量化分析。整体而言，澳洲肺鱼的脑部尺寸与形态与其容纳该脑的颅内铸型空腔高度吻合，脑组织填充了超过五分之四的颅腔总容积。脑部的前脑与迷路区域与颅内铸型的形态匹配度极高，而中脑与后脑的匹配度则相对较低。本研究结果为肺鱼的神经大体解剖与颅内铸型结构提供了新的认知，对于研究化石类群的古神经解剖学家而言，本研究成果或具有重要参考价值。