Advanced computer graphics technology reveals cortical asymmetry in endocasts of rhesus monkeys

Lengths of cortical sulci were measured on ten endocranial casts (endocasts) from skulls of rhesus monkeys, using advanced computer technology that permits analysis and imaging of surface morphology in three dimensions. Sulcal lengths were compared in left and right hemispheres and, contrary to earlier reports, the length of the left Sylvian fissure was found to be significantly longer than its right counterpart, as is the case for chimpanzees and humans. This asymmetry in humans is thought to be associated with asymmetrical representation of language functions in the left hemisphere and, although this report is the first to demonstrate a significantly longer left Sylvian fissure in rhesus monkeys, our results are in keeping with psychophysical evidence that suggests that Macaca is left hemisphere dominant for perception of meaningful vocalizations. We attribute the difference between our findings and previous reports to the sensitivity of the new computer technology used to collect data from endocasts.