The magnificent compromise: cortical field evolution in mammals.
The neocortex of mammals is composed of cortical fields that have a unique organization associated with the animal's ecological niche and lifestyle. Each cortical field has a specific pattern of connections with other cortical fields and brain structures, and together they comprise a neocortical network that generates a variety of behaviors. These networks and the behaviors they generate are variable across mammals, and are particularly complex in some species such as humans. Here I discuss the mechanisms that contribute to neocortical organization in mammals, and how this organization has been altered to generate the variability that exists in different lineages.
Krubitzer
Leah
L
Center for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA. lakrubitzer@ucdavis.edu
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D019579:Neocortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*