Interspecies activity correlations reveal functional correspondence between monkey and human brain areas

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Evolutionary Biology
• Comparative Anatomy

Background:

• Primate brain evolution is often studied using models of cortical expansion.
• These models assume functional correspondence between homologous brain areas in different species.
• This assumption limits understanding of how functions might shift or be re-assigned during evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a novel method for assessing functional correspondences across primate species.
• To investigate evolution-driven functional reorganization in the primate brain without spatial assumptions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from macaque monkeys and humans.
• Employed temporal correlation of sensory-driven responses to assess functional similarity between brain areas.
• Analyzed responses using natural vision stimuli.

Main Results:

• Identified brain regions where functional processing has shifted to topologically different locations during primate evolution.
• Demonstrated functional reorganization not fully explained by cortical expansion models.
• Revealed significant evolution-driven shifts in functional architecture.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a new framework for evaluating cross-species functional brain changes.
• Findings challenge traditional views of primate brain evolution solely based on expansion.
• Accurate evolutionary models require understanding these functional reorganizations.