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Brain structure and function in Homo naledi
Zachary Cofran1, Shawn Hurst2, John Hawks3
1Anthropology Department, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, USA. zcofran@vassar.edu.
Brain Structure & Function
|June 15, 2026
Summary
Endocasts reveal Homo naledi brains had modern-like frontal lobes but ancestral overall size and proportions. This finding aids understanding of human brain evolution and ancient hominin behavior.
Area of Science:
- Paleoneurology
- Paleoanthropology
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Endocasts offer direct evidence of ancient brains, crucial for reconstructing brain evolution.
- Homo naledi, a recently discovered human species, presents a unique case for studying brain morphology and behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the capabilities and limitations of endocasts in understanding ancient brains.
- To analyze the brain of Homo naledi using advanced methods and compare it with other hominins.
- To contextualize findings within recent paleoanthropological and neuroimaging advancements.
Main Methods:
- Review of published evidence on Homo naledi brain and behavior.
- Geometric morphometric analysis to reconstruct the most complete Homo naledi endocast.
- Comparative analysis of the Homo naledi endocast with modern humans and Pleistocene hominins.
Main Results:
- The Homo naledi brain exhibits a derived frontal lobe.
- It retains ancestral characteristics in overall size, morphology, and cerebro-cerebellar proportions.
- This presents a unique mosaic of ancestral and derived traits.
Conclusions:
- Endocast analysis of Homo naledi provides insights into a unique combination of brain evolution.
- Findings contribute to understanding the diversity of hominin brain development.
- Integrates endocast data with broader paleoanthropological and neuroscientific frameworks.
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