94 
Ebbesson 
Figure 2. Nissl picture (left) and plot of degeneration (right) at level of facial nerve (VII). 
al., 1968) . On the other hand, little is known 
about what visceral afFerents are represented 
among ascending spinal fibers. At this mo- 
ment, we have no physiological data on 
lizards that would indicate what modalities 
are represented in the various ascending 
pathways, and which receptors are involved 
in each pathway. 
On an anatomical basis, ascending spinal 
pathways in lizards can be divided into (1) 
the dorsal column system, (2) the spino- 
cerebellar systems, and (3) the anterolateral 
systems. Only the dorsal column system is 
dealt with here and discussed below. For 
information about the last two, see Ebbes- 
son, 1967, 1969; Ebbesson and Goodman, 
1976. 
The Dorsal Column Nuclei 
The dorsal column system is composed of 
ascending dorsal funicular fibers that, in 
lizards, terminate in a somatotopic manner 
in distinct nuclei gracilis and cuneatus 
(Goldby and Robinson, 1962; Ebbesson, 
1966, 1967, 1969). These nuclei have long 
been recognized in reptiles (Christensen, 
1917 ; Zeehandelaar, 1921 ; Huber and 
Crosby, 1926; Shanklin, 1930; and others), 
but fibers from these nuclei have not been 
