Evolutionary Expression of the Orthopedia Transcription Factor in the Alar Hypothalamus: Implications for Amygdala Formation across Vertebrates

Differences between sarcopterygians and actinopterygians in the Otp expression patterns in cells migrated to the pallial amygdala highlight an evolutionary divergence, particularly in the complexity and cellular composition of this region, tracing its evolutionary emergence by using the studied species as reference. Moreover, present results emphasize the evolutionary and functional importance of hypothalamic-amygdaloid interactions.