Building a digital MRI and histology atlas of the Coyote brain (Canis latrans)
Description
Over the last 15 years, domestic dogs (Canis lupus domesticus) have emerged as a promising reference species for the study of complex behavior. In this regard, studies on wild canids serve as an important baseline for comparison in helping to evaluate the impact of domestication on the nervous system. The coyote (Canis latrans) shares close affinities to both the dog and its wild-type ancestor the European wolf (Canis lupus lupus). The following study was aimed at building a preliminary MRI and histology atlas of the coyote brain to support ongoing studies of the canid nervous system. Using MRI scan data obtained from postmortem adult coyote specimens (2 male, 1 female), we developed a digital MRI atlas, including 3-dimensional reconstructions of the surface and subcortical anatomy, tractography and quantitative morphology. Our results revealed, that barring a few minor differences, the coyote brain is structurally consistent with that of observed in other wild and domestic canids and shares strong affinities with the more wolf like varieties. In conclusion, this study provides additional evidence for strong conservation in morphology across this clade. Future studies aim to expand upon this atlas by creating an associated cytoarchitectural map of the cortical surface to help us better understand the unique histological and neurochemical makeup of this fascinating canid.
Citation Information
Costandy, Joseph and Spocter, Muhammad A., "Building a digital MRI and histology atlas of the Coyote brain (Canis latrans)" (2026). Office of Research DMU Research Symposium. 109.
https://digitalcommons.dmu.edu/researchsymposium/2025rs/2025abstracts/109
Building a digital MRI and histology atlas of the Coyote brain (Canis latrans)
Over the last 15 years, domestic dogs (Canis lupus domesticus) have emerged as a promising reference species for the study of complex behavior. In this regard, studies on wild canids serve as an important baseline for comparison in helping to evaluate the impact of domestication on the nervous system. The coyote (Canis latrans) shares close affinities to both the dog and its wild-type ancestor the European wolf (Canis lupus lupus). The following study was aimed at building a preliminary MRI and histology atlas of the coyote brain to support ongoing studies of the canid nervous system. Using MRI scan data obtained from postmortem adult coyote specimens (2 male, 1 female), we developed a digital MRI atlas, including 3-dimensional reconstructions of the surface and subcortical anatomy, tractography and quantitative morphology. Our results revealed, that barring a few minor differences, the coyote brain is structurally consistent with that of observed in other wild and domestic canids and shares strong affinities with the more wolf like varieties. In conclusion, this study provides additional evidence for strong conservation in morphology across this clade. Future studies aim to expand upon this atlas by creating an associated cytoarchitectural map of the cortical surface to help us better understand the unique histological and neurochemical makeup of this fascinating canid.
