Evolutionary origins of non-adjacent sequence processing in primate brain potentials.
There is considerable interest in understanding the ontogeny and phylogeny of the human language system, yet, neurobiological work at the interface of both fields is absent. Syntactic processes in language build on sensory processing and sequencing capabilities on the side of the receiver. While we better understand language-related ontogenetic changes in the human brain, it remains a mystery how neurobiological processes at specific human development stages compare with those in phylogenetically closely related species. To address this knowledge gap, we measured EEG event-related potentials (ERPs) in two macaque monkeys using a paradigm developed to evaluate human infant and adult brain potentials associated with the processing of non-adjacent ordering relationships in sequences of syllable triplets. Frequent standard triplet sequences were interspersed with infrequent voice pitch or non-adjacent rule deviants. Monkey ERPs show early pitch and rule deviant mismatch responses that are strikingly similar to those previously reported in human infants. This stands in contrast to adults' later ERP responses for rule deviants. The results reveal how non-adjacent sequence ordering relationships are processed in the primate brain and provide evidence for evolutionarily conserved neurophysiological effects, some of which are remarkably like those seen at an early human developmental stage.
Institute of Neuroscience, Henry Wellcome Building, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.|Centre for Behavior and Evolution, Henry Wellcome Building, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.
Alice E
AE
Milne
Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.|Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Albrechtstr. 28, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany.
Jutta L
JL
Mueller
Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Claudia
C
Männel
Institute of Neuroscience, Henry Wellcome Building, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.|Centre for Behavior and Evolution, Henry Wellcome Building, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.|Centre for Neuroscience in Education, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
Adam
A
Attaheri
Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Angela D
AD
Friederici
Institute of Neuroscience, Henry Wellcome Building, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.|Centre for Behavior and Evolution, Henry Wellcome Building, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.
Christopher I
CI
Petkov
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D010898:Pitch Perception