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Cortical areas associated to higher cognition drove primate brain evolution
Marina Melchionna1, Silvia Castiglione1, Giorgia Girardi1
1DiSTAR, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Communications Biology
|January 18, 2025
Summary
The evolution of primate brains was driven by complex cognition. Rapid expansion of specific brain regions, particularly the prefrontal cortex, occurred early in primate evolution, supporting higher-order cognitive functions.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Neuroscience
- Primate cognition
Background:
- Understanding the evolution of complex behaviors in primates requires knowledge of brain area evolution.
- Little is known about which brain regions or cognitive facets were favored by natural selection in primate evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary expansion patterns of the primate brain cortex.
- To identify brain areas and cognitive functions that drove primate brain evolution.
Main Methods:
- Development of statistical tools for fine-scale analysis of brain cortex evolution.
- Comparative analysis of cortical expansion across primate lineages.
Main Results:
- Rapid expansion of the prefrontal cortex occurred early in primate evolution.
- In anthropoids, expansion extended to the posterior parietal cortex, linked to mind-reading abilities.
- In Homo, further expansion affected the medial temporal lobe and inferior parietal lobe.
Conclusions:
- The evolution of primate brains was significantly driven by the pursuit of complex cognition.
- Specific cortical expansion patterns correlate with the development of higher-order cognitive functions in primates.
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