Direct cerebellar control over motor production in a species with extreme cerebellar enlargement

Abstract

The cerebellum is thought to fine-tune movement without being required for its production. However, this textbook view derives mainly from studies of mammalian species with highly developed cerebral cortices. Here we examined cerebellar function in the elephant-nose fish, a member of a family of African weakly electric fish (Mormyridae) in which the cerebellum is massively enlarged. The elephant-nose fish is named for a flexible facial appendage that is used to probe surfaces and extract prey from substrate. Results from microstimulation, electrophysiological recordings, and lesions support a direct role for the C1 region of the mormyrid cerebellum in controlling movement of this appendage. These findings suggest that the cerebellum is capable of performing functions typically ascribed to the cerebral cortex, emphasizing the importance of evolutionary history on the functional specialization of brain regions.