This book discusses the hypothesis that the primate pulvinar contains an original scaffold
which is derived from cytoarchitectural markers and specific protein distributions. Thereafter
along primate evolution different selective pressures acted in order to shape and fine-tune
the connectivity of the pulvinar with specific regions of the neocortex. This divergence
created among other things the different sets of retinotopic map representations in the
pulvinar nucleus depending on functional and behavioral requirements of each species. The
pulvinar the largest nucleus of the primate thalamus has extensive and reciprocal connections
with several areas of the neocortex. These input-output loops suggest that the pulvinar may
regulate the flow of information within and between cortical areas in a highly dynamic fashion.
Therefore understanding the anatomical subdivisions within the pulvinar and its connectivity
with the cortex is paramount to understanding pulvinar physiological function. However there
is a stark contrast regarding the way that the pulvinar is subdivided depending on the
technique employed. Cytoarchitectural and immunohistochemical methods reveal a very similar
pattern of pulvinar subdivision across Old- and New-World monkeys. On the other hand
electrophysiological and connectivity studies expose clear discrepancies in pulvinar
organization across primate evolution.
