A quantitative morphometric comparative analysis of the primate temporal lobe

Rilling, James K.; Seligman, Rebecca

doi:10.1006/jhev.2001.0537

Cited by 145 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Number and width of these, and the space between them available for interconnectivity have been discussed in the context of ' higher ' cognitive functions related to prefrontal cortex 21 , among other features 22 -25 . More importantly, arrangement of mini columns distinguishes H. sapiens from great apes 21 , in contrast to relative frontal lobe volume, which does not diff er among hominoids 14,15,21 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 88%

Evolution of the base of the brain in highly encephalized human species

et al. 2011

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The increase of brain size relative to body size -encephalization -is intimately linked with human evolution. However, two genetically different evolutionary lineages, Neanderthals and modern humans, have produced similarly large-brained human species. Thus, understanding human brain evolution should include research into specifi c cerebral reorganization, possibly refl ected by brain shape changes. Here we exploit developmental integration between the brain and its underlying skeletal base to test hypotheses about brain evolution in Homo. Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analyses of endobasicranial shape reveal previously undocumented details of evolutionary changes in Homo sapiens . Larger olfactory bulbs, relatively wider orbitofrontal cortex, relatively increased and forward projecting temporal lobe poles appear unique to modern humans . Such brain reorganization, beside physical consequences for overall skull shape, might have contributed to the evolution of H. sapiens ' learning and social capacities, in which higher olfactory functions and its cognitive, neurological behavioral implications could have been hitherto underestimated factors.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 88%

Evolution of the base of the brain in highly encephalized human species

et al. 2011

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“…The anthropoid cerebral cortex is relatively thick and convoluted, with the degree of gyrification increasing significantly as brain volume increases (Zilles et al, 2013). In particular, the surface area and gyrification of the temporal lobes increases with a significantly greater exponent than predicted for geometric growth of the brain (Rilling and Seligman, 2002). Conversely, gyrification in diprotodont species does not vary considerably with increasing brain size (Zilles et al, 2013), and this is reflected in the scaling of blood flow in diprotodont marsupials, which is proportional to a much lower exponent, V br 0.73 ( Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Scaling of cerebral blood perfusion in primates and marsupials

Seymour

Angove

Snelling

et al. 2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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The evolution of primates involved increasing body size, brain size and presumably cognitive ability. Cognition is related to neural activity, metabolic rate and rate of blood flow to the cerebral cortex. These parameters are difficult to quantify in living animals. This study shows that it is possible to determine the rate of cortical brain perfusion from the size of the internal carotid artery foramina in skulls of certain mammals, including haplorrhine primates and diprotodont marsupials. We quantify combined blood flow rate in both internal carotid arteries as a proxy of brain metabolism in 34 species of haplorrhine primates (0.116-145 kg body mass) and compare it to the same analysis for 19 species of diprotodont marsupials (0.014-46 kg). Brain volume is related to body mass by essentially the same exponent of 0.70 in both groups. Flow rate increases with haplorrhine brain volume to the 0.95 power, which is significantly higher than the exponent (0.75) expected for most organs according to 'Kleiber's Law'. By comparison, the exponent is 0.73 in marsupials. Thus, the brain perfusion rate increases with body size and brain size much faster in primates than in marsupials. The trajectory of cerebral perfusion in primates is set by the phylogenetically older groups (New and Old World monkeys, lesser apes) and the phylogenetically younger groups (great apes, including humans) fall near the line, with the highest perfusion. This may be associated with disproportionate increases in cortical surface area and mental capacity in the highly social, larger primates.

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“…Some comparative evidence points to relative expansion of temporal lobe structures, including temporal cortices and amygdala, after accounting for differences in brain size (25,(33)(34)(35)(36), but broader comparative studies are needed to verify this intriguing suggestion. A difficulty is that, if there were other extensive areas that had expanded disproportionately (relative to the rest of the brain) and other things being equal, frontal regions should appear relatively small in humans, which they do not.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human frontal lobes are not relatively large

Barton

Venditti

2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

138

114

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One of the most pervasive assumptions about human brain evolution is that it involved relative enlargement of the frontal lobes. We show that this assumption is without foundation. Analysis of five independent data sets using correctly scaled measures and phylogenetic methods reveals that the size of human frontal lobes, and of specific frontal regions, is as expected relative to the size of other brain structures. Recent claims for relative enlargement of human frontal white matter volume, and for relative enlargement shared by all great apes, seem to be mistaken. Furthermore, using a recently developed method for detecting shifts in evolutionary rates, we find that the rate of change in relative frontal cortex volume along the phylogenetic branch leading to humans was unremarkable and that other branches showed significantly faster rates of change. Although absolute and proportional frontal region size increased rapidly in humans, this change was tightly correlated with corresponding size increases in other areas and whole brain size, and with decreases in frontal neuron densities. The search for the neural basis of human cognitive uniqueness should therefore focus less on the frontal lobes in isolation and more on distributed neural networks.

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A quantitative morphometric comparative analysis of the primate temporal lobe

Cited by 145 publications

References 33 publications

Evolution of the base of the brain in highly encephalized human species

Evolution of the base of the brain in highly encephalized human species

Scaling of cerebral blood perfusion in primates and marsupials

Human frontal lobes are not relatively large

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