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Relative prefrontal cortex surface area in Pan troglodytes and Homo sapiens and its implications for cognitive evolution

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Date Issued:
2009
Summary:
The human prefrontal cortex (PFC) is associated with complex cognitive behaviors such as planning for the future, memory for serial order, social information processing and language. Understanding how the PFC has changed through time is central to the study of human neural evolution. Here we investigate the expansion of the PFC by measuring relative surface area of the PFC in Pan troglodytes and Homo sapiens. Magnetic resonance images (MRI's) from 8 preserved chimpanzee brains (3 male and 5 female adults) were segmented and measured. The results of this study indicate that there are gross anatomical differences between the chimpanzee and human prefrontal cortex beyond absolute size. The lower surface area to volume ratio in PFC of the chimpanzee when compared to a human indicates less gyral white matter in this region and thus, less associative connectivity. This anatomical evidence of a difference corresponds with the lesser cognitive complexity observed in chimpanzees.
Title: Relative prefrontal cortex surface area in Pan troglodytes and Homo sapiens and its implications for cognitive evolution.
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Name(s): George, Ian D.
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Department of Anthropology
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Issued: 2009
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: electronic
Extent: ix, 40 p. : ill. (some col.)
Language(s): English
Summary: The human prefrontal cortex (PFC) is associated with complex cognitive behaviors such as planning for the future, memory for serial order, social information processing and language. Understanding how the PFC has changed through time is central to the study of human neural evolution. Here we investigate the expansion of the PFC by measuring relative surface area of the PFC in Pan troglodytes and Homo sapiens. Magnetic resonance images (MRI's) from 8 preserved chimpanzee brains (3 male and 5 female adults) were segmented and measured. The results of this study indicate that there are gross anatomical differences between the chimpanzee and human prefrontal cortex beyond absolute size. The lower surface area to volume ratio in PFC of the chimpanzee when compared to a human indicates less gyral white matter in this region and thus, less associative connectivity. This anatomical evidence of a difference corresponds with the lesser cognitive complexity observed in chimpanzees.
Identifier: 430492576 (oclc), 221945 (digitool), FADT221945 (IID), fau:3450 (fedora)
Note(s): by Ian D. George.
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009.
Includes bibliography.
Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subject(s): Frontal lobes -- Physiology
Brain -- Evolution
Cognitive neuroscience
Psychophysiology
Vertebrates -- Evolution
Evolution (Biology)
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/221945
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU