Organization of the retinofugal fibers to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of Pteropus giganteus.

The projection of the retina to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus was studied following unilateral enucleations and intraocular injections of tritiated proline in the fruit bat, Pteropus giganteus. Three cell laminae (lamina 1, 2, 3) were identified in Nissl preparations. Input from the two eyes to the laminae was partially overlapping and segregated. At levels where th input was clearly segregated the input from the contralateral eye ended in the outer portions of the three laminae while the input to the laminae from the ipsilateral eye ended along the medial edge of the optic tract (lamina S) and the inner portions of the three laminae. These results indicate that the organization of the projection is similar to that described in other mammals, i.e., the terminals of input fibers from the retina form concealed terminal laminae and they are to some degree segregated to specific terminal zones within laminae.