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

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. / 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.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fau.edu/oai:fau.digital.flvc.org:fau_3450
ContributorsGeorge, Ian D., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
PublisherFlorida Atlantic University
Source SetsFlorida Atlantic University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, Electronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatix, 40 p. : ill. (some col.), electronic
Rightshttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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