Overview
The first volume in the series on Comparative Brain Research in Mammals deals with the brains of insectivora. The importance of insectivora lies above all in the fact that, (1) insectivore-like ancestors are regarded as the initial group for the evolution of higher mammals, and (2) the insectivore brains retain many conservative traits, though the animals have adapted to different living environments. Therefore, the study of insectivora brains enables an insight into the size and composition of the brain structure of earlier ancestors of the higher mammals including primates and humans; in addition, it illuminates the various evolutionary trends which made the successful adaptation to different biotopes possible. The alterations which the brain has experienced in the course of the phylogeny and the related adaptive radiation will be examined in subsequent volumes. The series addresses not only the interests of the neuroanatomists or neurobiologists but also those of scientists interested in ecology, ethology, and evolution. In the long run, it will be an indispensable source of data for morphometric studies. The data, which has been collected and worked on for decades, should retain its validity for a long time.