title: Cortical sulci asymmetries in chimpanzees and macaques: a new look at an old idea.
abstract: Functional and neuroanatomical asymmetries are an important characteristic of the human brain. The evolution of such specializations in the human cortex has provoked great interest in primate brain evolution. Most research on cortical sulci has revolved around linear measurements, which represent only one dimension of sulci organization. Here, we used a software program (BrainVISA) to quantify asymmetries in cortical depth and surface area from magnetic resonance images in a sample of 127 chimpanzees and 49 macaques. Population brain asymmetries were determined from 11 sulci in chimpanzees and seven sulci in macaques. Sulci were taken from the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. Population-level asymmetries were evident in chimpanzees for several sulci, including the fronto-orbital, superior precentral, and sylvian fissure sulci. The macaque population did not reveal significant population-level asymmetries, except for surface area of the superior temporal sulcus. The overall results are discussed within the context of the evolution of higher order cognition and motor functions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bogart
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mangin
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Schapiro
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reamer
authors.forename: Allyson J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Pierre
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Hopkins
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008255:Macaca radiata / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012984:Software; D013045:Species Specificity