A Shared Pattern of Postnatal Endocranial Development in Extant Hominoids

Scott, Nadia Aleyna; Neubauer, Simon; Hublin, Jean‐Jacques; Gunz, Philipp

doi:10.1007/s11692-014-9290-7

Cited by 40 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 87 publications

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“…While the language of heterochrony cannot be used in a straightforward way with multivariate data , it seems that evolutionary changes in the timing or amount of shape change along a shared developmental pattern contribute to species differences. Apes that have larger and more prognathic faces show a higher degree of shape change than humans Scott et al, 2014]. This reinforces the claim that endocranial shape changes during later ontogeny, especially after brain size has been attained, are related to facial modifications and are probably less informative about intrinsic brain shape changes.…”

Section: The Evo-devo Approach Of Paleoneurologysupporting

confidence: 74%

“…This phase of shared shape changes seems to be conserved and is probably an ancestral developmental pattern that was already established in the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees. Scott et al [2014] recently confirmed a shared pattern of postnatal endocranial development in extant hominoids [see also Ponce de Léon et al, 2013]. Moreover, the developmental simulations suggest that, while the pattern itself is very similar during this period, the amount of shape change along this pattern is different.…”

Section: The Evo-devo Approach Of Paleoneurologymentioning

confidence: 66%

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Endocasts: Possibilities and Limitations for the Interpretation of Human Brain Evolution

Neubauer

2014

Brain Behav Evol

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Brains are not preserved in the fossil record but endocranial casts are. These are casts of the internal bony braincase, revealing approximate brain size and shape, and they are also informative about brain surface morphology. Endocasts are the only direct evidence of human brain evolution, but they provide only limited data (‘paleoneurology'). This review discusses some new fossil endocasts and recent methodological advances that have allowed novel analyses of old endocasts, leading to intriguing findings and hypotheses. The interpretation of paleoneurological data always relies on comparative information from living species whose brains and behavior can be directly investigated. It is therefore important that future studies attempt to better integrate different approaches. Only then will we be able to gain a better understanding about hominin brain evolution.

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Section: The Evo-devo Approach Of Paleoneurologysupporting

confidence: 74%

Section: The Evo-devo Approach Of Paleoneurologymentioning

confidence: 66%

Endocasts: Possibilities and Limitations for the Interpretation of Human Brain Evolution

Neubauer

2014

Brain Behav Evol

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“…Ontogenetic analysis of the endocranial form suggested that modern human brain globularity is achieved early postnatally [Neubauer et al, 2009] et al, 2016]. Either way, it is due to a morphogenetic stage which is specific to H. sapiens and absent in chimps or Neanderthals Neubauer et al, 2010;Scott et al, 2014]. In sum, head and brain globularity in our species is largely due to parietal lobes and bones, and associated with a species-specific growth period.…”

Section: Parietal Lobes and The Study Of Brain Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Human Paleoneurology and the Evolution of the Parietal Cortex

Bruner¹

2018

Brain Behav Evol

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Paleoneurology deals with the study of brain anatomy in fossil species, as inferred from the morphology of their endocranial features. When compared with other living and extinct hominids, Homo sapiens is characterized by larger parietal bones and, according to the paleoneurological evidence, also by larger parietal lobes. The dorsal elements of the posterior parietal cortex (superior parietal lobules, precuneus, and intraparietal sulcus) may be involved in these morphological changes. This parietal expansion was also associated with an increase in the corresponding vascular networks, and possibly with increased heat loads. Only H. sapiens has a specific early ontogenetic stage in which brain form achieves such globular appearance. In adult modern humans, the precuneus displays remarkable variation, being largely responsible for the longitudinal parietal size. The precuneus is also much more expanded in modern humans than in chimpanzees. Parietal expansion is not influenced by brain size in fossil hominids or living primates. Therefore, our larger parietal cortex must be interpreted as a derived feature. Spatial models suggest that the dorsal and anterior areas of the precuneus might be involved in these derived morphological variations. These areas are crucial for visuospatial integration, and are sensitive to both genetic and environmental influences. This article reviews almost 20 years of my collaborations on human parietal lobe evolution, integrating functional craniology, paleoneurology, and evolutionary neuroanatomy.

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“…The fact that chimpanzees lack this discrete stage is difficult to explain in terms of allometry, and it is likely that this specific stage newly evolved in modern humans. All living apes lack this parietal bulging stage (Scott et al 2014), and hence the modern pattern is likely to be the derived one. Second, despite having a cranial capacity similar to or even larger than modern humans, Neandertals also lack this parietal bulging stage (Gunz et al 2010) and do not display bulging parietal bones or lobes (Bruner et al 2003, 2011; Bruner 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for expansion of the precuneus in human evolution

et al. 2016

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The evolution of neurocranial morphology in Homo sapiens is characterized by bulging of the parietal region, a feature unique to our species. In modern humans, expansion of the parietal surface occurs during the first year of life, in a morphogenetic stage which is absent in chimpanzees and Neandertals. A similar variation in brain shape among living adult humans is associated with expansion of the precuneus. Using MRI-derived structural brain templates, we compare medial brain morphology between humans and chimpanzees through shape analysis and geometrical modeling. We find that the main spatial difference is a prominent expansion of the precuneus in our species, providing further evidence of evolutionary changes associated with this area. The precuneus is a major hub of brain organization, a central node of the default-mode network, and plays an essential role in visuospatial integration. Together, the comparative neuroanatomical and paleontological evidence suggest that precuneus expansion is a specialization of Homo sapiens that evolved in the last 150,000 years that may be associated with recent human cognitive specializations.

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A Shared Pattern of Postnatal Endocranial Development in Extant Hominoids

Cited by 40 publications

References 87 publications

Endocasts: Possibilities and Limitations for the Interpretation of Human Brain Evolution

Endocasts: Possibilities and Limitations for the Interpretation of Human Brain Evolution

Human Paleoneurology and the Evolution of the Parietal Cortex

Evidence for expansion of the precuneus in human evolution

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