New insights into differences in brain organization between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans

Abstract

Previous research has identified morphological differences between the brains of Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (AMHs). However, studies using endocasts or the cranium itself are limited to investigating external surface features and the overall size and shape of the brain. A complementary approach uses comparative primate data to estimate the size of internal brain areas. Previous attempts to do this have generally assumed that identical total brain volumes imply identical internal organization. Here, we argue that, in the case of Neanderthals and AMHs, differences in the size of the body and visual system imply differences in organization between the same-sized brains of these two taxa. We show that Neanderthals had significantly larger visual systems than contemporary AMHs (indexed by orbital volume) and that when this, along with their greater body mass, is taken into account, Neanderthals have significantly smaller adjusted endocranial capacities than contemporary AMHs. We discuss possible implications of differing brain organization in terms of social cognition, and consider these in the context of differing abilities to cope with fluctuating resources and cultural maintenance.

Petrificación epistémica y la restauración de la confiabilidad epistémica: Una nueva conceptualización del trastorno límite de la personalidad y su tratamiento psicosocial

“…Comparaciones de los cráneos de Neandertales con aquellos del Homo sapiens datados por carbono hacia aproximadamente la misma época histórica cuando coexistieron en Europa, han mostrado que el Neandertal tenía relativamente ojos más alargados, lo cual implica la posesión de mayores áreas de procesamiento visual -una adaptación a las largas noches oscuras de los inviernos europeos (Pearce, Stringer, & Dunbar, 2013). En contraste, el Homo sapiens, el cual evolucionó originalmente en África, se especializaba menos en la visión y en el control corporal y más en la solución de problemas y en la red de contactos.…”

Surfin’ endocasts: The good and the bad on brain form

“…In any case, the scarce information available on variations and the mechanisms of cortical folding is still limiting the application of shape analysis in many brain districts. Third, most of all in paleoneurology, more information on the spatial and morphogenetic relationships between skull and brain can surely add to provide more robust neuroanatomical inferences on extinct species (Pearce et al, 2013;Kobayashi et al, 2014a;Kochiyama et al, 2018). The spatial relationships between brain and braincase can reveal some useful correlations between soft and hard tissues, and quantify the degree of association and reliability between cranial and cortical areas (Kobayashi et al, 2014b;Bruner et al, 2015).…”

Neanderthal culture: Old masters

“…The Neanderthal genome, decoded 9 in 2010, differs from that of modern humans in some regions linked to brain function, he notes. And this year, he suggested that, compared with modern humans, larger volumes of Neanderthals brains were devoted to vision and to controlling their heavier bodies 10 . That might have left them with less capacity for social awareness and interaction.…”