on 7/11/03 4:31 AM, Automatic digest processor scribed:
>Ferrets are animals built for detecting scents--nearly a third of the
>skull is dedicated to detect odor (orange region), while a large portion
>of the brain is used to process olfactory signals (blue region).
 
Ok outside of finding this series a bit long winded, I haven't had much
opinion about it.  But this bugs me.
 
Who did the studies that show so much of the ferret's brain is tied into
a SINGLE function?  Is this all brain mass, or are the orange regions
simple the sinus cavities?  And if so, why make it seem particularly
special in ferrets?  I mean, how much of our cranial cavities are tied
up to sinuses?
 
But I do want to know what documentation you have to support "your" ideas
here.  How can you say the brain is geared towards olfactory signals
while leaving out so much else it does?  How can you justify painting the
area of the brain one color and telling us it is used basically for the
sense of smell.  Just because an animal has a stronger sense of smell
than we do doesn't mean that its brain it locked into that sense alone.
 
Ok, the orange area is sinus cavities, and ferrets use more of their
brain for smelling than other animals.  Is this correct?  The orange
area is sinus cavity and the blue area the brain cavity?
 
Of course I don't expect an answer from you.  Perhaps there is someone on
this list who has at least a master's degree in anthropology or biology
who can help me out.  I would truly like to know if anyone has indeed
mapped out functions of the brain.
 
Blessings,
Maggie
[Posted in FML issue 4206]