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The hypothalamus consists of a collection of nuclei that play a major role in regulating the major drives or motivational systems. It is present in all vertebrates, and the similarities in different mammals is easy to discern.

The many identified neuronal clusters comprising the hypothalamus are listed below.

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• Anterior area
  

• Dorsal chiasmatic n.
  

• Periventricular complex
  

• Supraoptic n.
  

• Suprachiasmatic n.
  

• Paraventricular complex
  

• Ant hypothalamic area
  

• Ant hypothalamic n.
  

• Dorsal hypothalamic area
  

• Lateral hypothalamic area
  

• Suprachiasmatic commissure
  

• Tuber cinereum area
  

• Infundibular nucleus
  

• Dorsomedial hypothalamic area
  

• Ventromedial hypothalamic area
  

• Parvocellular hypothalamic n.
  

• Dorsal hypothalamic area
  

• Posterior hypothalamic area
  

• Anterior mammillary area
  

• Tuberal mammilary n.
  

• Medial mammillary n.
  

• Lateral mammillary n.
  

• Supramammillary n.
  

• Supramammillary decussation

We present below a series of sections cut in the coronal plane through the hypothalamus of manatee #85-32. The left panel shows six sections beginning at the front of the hypothalamus at the caudal region of the olfactory tubercle. The optic chiasm is seen at the beginning of the middle panel and the infundibular stalk of the pituitary gland appears clearly in the rightmost panel of sections.