Thalamic projections to the posterior sylvian and posterior ectosylvian gyri of the sheep brain, revealed with the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase.

The auditory area of the sheep cerebral cortex was studied on the basis of its afferents from the medial geniculate nucleus, traced with the horseradish peroxidase retrograde transport method. The results show that the medial geniculate nucleus projects only to the anterior parts of the posterior ectosylvian gyrus and the posterior sylvian gyrus. A small area of the posterior ectosylvian gyrus receives afferents exclusively from the ventral part of the medial geniculate nucleus, while the anterior part of the posterior sylvian gyrus receives also afferents from the posterior nucleus of the thalamus and the pulvinar. In addition, it was found that the medial part of the medial geniculate nucleus projects in a sparse way to the auditory cortex. The middle part of the posterior ectosylvian gyrus receives afferents from the posterior nucleus of the thalamus, the suprageniculate nucleus and the pulvinar, while the posterior part of the posterior ectosylvian gyrus together with the posteriormost part of the posterior sylvian gyrus receive afferents from the pulvinar. Finally, the area located between the anterior and the posteriormost part of the posterior sylvian gyrus receives afferents from both the posterior nucleus of the thalamus and the pulvinar.