Comparative primate neurobiology and the evolution of brain language systems.
Human brain specializations supporting language can be identified by comparing human with non-human primate brains. Comparisons with chimpanzees are critical in this endeavor. Human brains are much larger than non-human primate brains, but human language capabilities cannot be entirely explained by brain size. Human brain specializations that potentially support our capacity for language include firstly, wider cortical minicolumns in both Broca's and Wernicke's areas compared with great apes; secondly, leftward asymmetries in Broca's area volume and Wernicke's area minicolumn width that are not found in great apes; and thirdly, arcuate fasciculus projections beyond Wernicke's area to a region of expanded association cortex in the middle and inferior temporal cortex involved in processing word meaning.
Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States. Electronic address: jrillin@emory.edu.
James K
JK
Rilling
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D009446:Neurobiology