NEUROANATOMICAL AND BEHAVIORAL CORRELATES OF REDUCED STRESS IN THE BLIND MEXICAN CAVEFISH, A. MEXICANUS

Brain atlases have been created across species from flies to humans in order to obtain a better understanding of neuroanatomical morphology. Although these brain atlases allow for analysis of neuroanatomy they do not give insight about how the morphology adapt to fit challenges brought on by unique environments. Here I developed a brain atlas for Astyanax mexicanus, a species known to have populations that differ in various behaviors, to gain a better understanding about how populations of the same species, derived from different environments, evolve to be best suited for the challenges they face. By creating a brain atlas for adult surface fish and three populations of cavefish I was able to examine differences in neuroanatomical structures implicated in regulating behavior. My findings show significant differences in neuroanatomical regions known to regulate behavior. Along with these findings, the brain atlases created are a tool for researches to use and expand on in the future.