High-Expanding Regions in Primate Cortical Brain Evolution Support Supramodal Cognitive Flexibility

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Evolutionary Biology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Primate neocortex evolution involves disproportionate expansion of specific regions, increasing neuron count and metabolic cost.
• These expanded regions must provide significant evolutionary advantages, likely related to their function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the functional connectivity patterns of evolutionary high-expanding cortex in primates.
• To understand how these regions interact with other brain networks context-dependently.
• To explore the developmental trajectory of this flexible connectivity.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of surface growth patterns across primate species to identify high-expanding cortical regions.
• Functional connectivity analyses examining internetwork connections at rest and during cognitive tasks.
• Longitudinal developmental assessment of functional coupling in high-expanding regions.

Main Results:

• Evolutionary high-expanding cortex demonstrates high internetwork functional connectivity.
• These regions are flexibly recruited across diverse cognitive tasks.
• Functional coupling patterns shift between rest and task states, and develop gradually through childhood.

Conclusions:

• The flexible connectivity of high-expanding cortex suggests a role in supramodal cognition, supporting adaptability.
• This capacity for flexible network engagement is a key evolutionary advantage.
• The developmental trajectory indicates a prolonged maturation of these cognitive functions.