# Reference atlases for species other than mouse and human

**URL:** <https://community.brain-map.org/t/reference-atlases-for-species-other-than-mouse-and-human/331>\
**Category:** Science\
**Tags:** request, anatomy, atlas-reference-maps\
**Created:** [October 30, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://community.brain-map.org/t/reference-atlases-for-species-other-than-mouse-and-human/331 "2019-10-30T14:49:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![brain](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/community.brain-map.org/brain/32/38_2.png) [@brain](https://community.brain-map.org/u/brain)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://community.brain-map.org/t/reference-atlases-for-species-other-than-mouse-and-human/331/1 "2019-10-30T14:49:50Z")

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The research community frequently contacts us with questions regarding our plans for developing reference atlases, beyond [what we have available](http://atlas.brain-map.org/).

At this time (October 2019), **the Allen Institute does not have plans to develop brain reference atlases for additional species**. We know there is interest in rat brain, songbird, bat, and other model organisms, but our present focus is to develop a deeper understanding of the human brain and the mouse brain as a model for exploring circuits and cell types.  
We encourage people to leave comments here if they have recommendations for others about useful online or digital reference atlases covering species beyond mouse and human. [There is a post on this forum about tools that are available for mouse brain registration](https://community.brain-map.org/t/mouse-brain-reference-atlases-mapping-your-own-data/243), and it’s possible some of those might be utilizable for other rodents. A few reference spaces that we are aware of are listed below - this is certainly not comprehensive, so feel free to add others.

- An aggregated list of multiple reference atlases is available from INCF through the [Scalabale Brain Atlas](https://scalablebrainatlas.incf.org/) site
- Waxholm space: Annotated [Rat brain](https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/explore-the-brain/atlases/#whs) is available from HBP, as is a [recent article on the utility of rat brain reference space](https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.24381) by Larry Swanson
- A [zebra finch reference atlas](http://www.zebrafinchatlas.org/gene_display/histological-atlas) is available from Harvey Karten and colleagues, included in the [brainmaps library](http://brainmaps.org/index.php?p=brain-maps-api) of reference atlases and histological section images
- There are multiple reference datasets for non-human primate, such as RIKEN’s archives for [marmoset and Japanese macaque](https://brainatlas.brain.riken.jp/), and the more recent [Brain/MINDS marmoset brain atlas package](https://www.brainminds.riken.jp/atlas-package-download-main-page/reference-atlas-data).

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**Author:** ![Carol](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/community.brain-map.org/carol/32/2578_2.png) [@Carol](https://community.brain-map.org/u/Carol)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://community.brain-map.org/t/reference-atlases-for-species-other-than-mouse-and-human/331/2 "2019-11-01T17:42:11Z")

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Although we do not have an annotated reference atlas for non-human primate, we do have reference datasets that can be useful for looking at brain cytoarchitecture.

Nissl and MRI are available for postnatal ages, and Nissl, ENC1 and GFAP staining for embryonic ages as part of the [NIH Blueprint NHP Atlas](http://www.blueprintnhpatlas.org/static/referencedata)