Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

279
Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the...
279
Organization of the Brain01:30

Organization of the Brain

819
The brain is an integral component of the nervous system and serves as the center for processing sensory inputs, making decisions, and directing bodily actions. This complex organ is organized into three primary sections: the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain, each responsible for a range of vital functions.
Hindbrain
The hindbrain, located at the base of the brain, plays a vital role in regulating automatic processes that sustain life. It includes the medulla oblongata, which is essential for...
819
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

120
Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
120
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

5.4K
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
5.4K
Synteny and Evolution02:31

Synteny and Evolution

3.3K
John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral...
3.3K
Lobes of the Cerebrum01:22

Lobes of the Cerebrum

684
The cerebral cortex, a critical structure of the brain, is intricately divided into two hemispheres, each consisting of four distinct lobes: occipital, temporal, frontal, and parietal. These lobes function cooperatively to regulate various cognitive and sensory functions, forming the basis of our complex neural capabilities.
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements....
684

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Quantitative and Phylogenetic Analyses of Immature Neurons in Cortical Layer II and Amygdala of Macaque Monkeys.

Cells·2026
Same author

Endogenously generated Dutch-type Aβ non-fibrillar aggregates dysregulate presynaptic neurotransmission in the absence of detectable inflammation.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2026
Same author

Comparative analysis of the cellular landscape in mammalian striatum.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Neuropathological and Behavioral Effects of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury at High Altitude.

Journal of neurotrauma·2026
Same author

Homologous specialization of arcuate fasciculus ventrolateral frontal connectivity in marmosets and humans.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Morphological and anatomical variations in subcortical anatomy between humans and chimpanzees associated with heritability patterns related to human behavioral traits.

Communications biology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2025

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance
09:01

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance

Published on: May 7, 2014

10.2K

Evolutionary scaling and cognitive correlates of primate frontal cortex microstructure.

Cheryl D Stimpson1,2,3, Jeroen B Smaers4, Mary Ann Raghanti5

  • 1Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.

Brain Structure & Function
|October 27, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Primate frontal cortex evolution shows varied microstructural changes. Neuropil fraction, linked to brain size and self-control, evolves slower than other components like neuron and axon distributions.

Keywords:
Brain evolutionDopamineInterneuronNeuropilParvalbuminSerotonin

More Related Videos

Correlating Behavioral Responses to fMRI Signals from Human Prefrontal Cortex: Examining Cognitive Processes Using Task Analysis
10:33

Correlating Behavioral Responses to fMRI Signals from Human Prefrontal Cortex: Examining Cognitive Processes Using Task Analysis

Published on: June 20, 2012

12.8K
How to Measure Cortical Folding from MR Images: a Step-by-Step Tutorial to Compute Local Gyrification Index
09:57

How to Measure Cortical Folding from MR Images: a Step-by-Step Tutorial to Compute Local Gyrification Index

Published on: January 2, 2012

28.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 12, 2025

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance
09:01

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance

Published on: May 7, 2014

10.2K
Correlating Behavioral Responses to fMRI Signals from Human Prefrontal Cortex: Examining Cognitive Processes Using Task Analysis
10:33

Correlating Behavioral Responses to fMRI Signals from Human Prefrontal Cortex: Examining Cognitive Processes Using Task Analysis

Published on: June 20, 2012

12.8K
How to Measure Cortical Folding from MR Images: a Step-by-Step Tutorial to Compute Local Gyrification Index
09:57

How to Measure Cortical Folding from MR Images: a Step-by-Step Tutorial to Compute Local Gyrification Index

Published on: January 2, 2012

28.0K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Primatology

Background:

  • Understanding primate cognitive evolution requires examining frontal cortex microstructural changes.
  • Neuron and axon distribution modifications are key to phylogenetic variation in cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize microstructural components of the primate frontal cortex across 14 species.
  • To investigate evolutionary rates of microstructural variables and their relation to brain size and self-control.

Main Methods:

  • Examined dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and primary motor cortex.
  • Measured neuropil fraction and used immunohistochemistry for interneurons, projection neurons, and neurotransmitter innervation (serotonergic, dopaminergic).

Main Results:

  • Evolutionary rates were similar across most microstructural variables.
  • Neuropil fraction evolved slower, correlated strongly with brain size.
  • Orbitofrontal cortex neuropil fraction in specific layers related to self-control performance.

Conclusions:

  • Primate frontal cortex evolution involves differential rates of change in microstructural components.
  • Neuropil fraction's slower evolution and link to brain size suggest its importance in scaling.
  • Specific frontal cortex microstructures are associated with cognitive functions like self-control.