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Neuroscience and Human Brain Evolution

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Human Paleoneurology

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Bio-/Neuroinformatics ((SSBN,volume 3))

Abstract

Evidence from comparative neurobiological studies indicates that humans differ from other primates along several different dimensions of brain organization. Differences in cytoarchitecture, connectivity, and gene expression demonstrate that substantial remodeling of brain microstructure and molecular biology occurred during human evolution, and these changes are likely associated with cognitive specializations. The paleoneurological study of brain reorganization, however, has often been considered only on a larger scale, since the evidence from endocasts is limited to brain regions that can be detected from the traces left in the fossil record. Neuroscience offers a critical perspective on paleoneurology by investigating the microstructure and genetic mechanisms that might be responsible for brain reorganization. Recent findings suggest that neural tissue differs in its anatomical structure and molecular biology across primate species and is not uniform in its processing capabilities. Connectivity patterns can differ across species, producing selective enlargement of connected brain regions. Changes in patterns of innervation for various neurotransmitters may also occur on a microscopic scale, but can produce substantial changes in brain function and cognition. Furthermore, differential regulation of various transcription factors and genes can produce variation in the size of brain structures across primate species. Although the exact nature of brain reorganization related to the evolution of cognitive processing in humans remains to be fully defined, these findings indicate that it may have occurred through a number of different pathways. Further research in both neuroscience and paleoneurology is necessary to identify areas where brain reorganization likely occurred, along with the underlying mechanisms of evolutionary change in human brain structure and function.

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  1. Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology, The George Washington University, 2110 G St NW, Washington, DC, 20052, USA

    Laura D. Reyes & Chet C. Sherwood

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  1. Laura D. Reyes
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  2. Chet C. Sherwood
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Correspondence to Chet C. Sherwood .

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  1. National Research Center on Human Evolution, Burgos, Spain

    Emiliano Bruner

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Reyes, L.D., Sherwood, C.C. (2015). Neuroscience and Human Brain Evolution. In: Bruner, E. (eds) Human Paleoneurology. Springer Series in Bio-/Neuroinformatics, vol 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08500-5_2

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