Abstract
Previous studies suggest that the complexity of fiber connections in the brain plays a key role in the evolutionary process of the primate brain and behaviors. The patterns of brain fiber systems have been studied in detail in many nonhuman primates, but not in Sapajus sp. Behavioral studies indicated that Sapajus sp. (bearded capuchins) show highly cognitive behaviors such as tool use comparable to those in other nonhuman primates. To compare the brain fiber systems in capuchins with those in other nonhuman primates and humans, the intrahemispheric fibers systems in 24 cerebral hemispheres of Sapajus were dissected by a freezing-thawing procedure. Dissection of the hemispheres in lateral view indicated short arcuate fibers, uncinate fasciculus, and inferior longitudinal fasciculus, while that in a medial view indicated short arcuate fibers, the cingulum united with the superior longitudinal fasciculus, and inferior longitudinal fasciculus. The results showed that the fiber systems in Sapajus are comparable to those in rhesus and humans, except for a lack of independent superior longitudinal fasciculus and cingulum in Sapajus.
Highlights
The Sapajus sp., as an exception among New World primates [1], present high cognition and memory [2], tool use associated with intermittent bipedalism in the captivity and in the wild [3,4,5,6,7,8], handling rocks to open coconuts [9], and fishing for termites using twigs [10]
In a medial view (Figures 2 and 5), we observed short arcuate fibers, the cingulum fasciculus united with the superior longitudinal fasciculus, and inferior longitudinal fasciculus
In a lateral view (Figures 3 and 5), we found short arcuate fibers and inferior longitudinal fasciculus
Summary
The Sapajus sp. (bearded capuchins), as an exception among New World primates [1], present high cognition and memory [2], tool use associated with intermittent bipedalism in the captivity and in the wild [3,4,5,6,7,8], handling rocks to open coconuts [9], and fishing for termites using twigs [10]. (bearded capuchins), as an exception among New World primates [1], present high cognition and memory [2], tool use associated with intermittent bipedalism in the captivity and in the wild [3,4,5,6,7,8], handling rocks to open coconuts [9], and fishing for termites using twigs [10]. They share a range of behaviors with Pan (chimpanzees) and Homo (hominids) [11,12,13,14,15,16,17] (Figure 1). The present known evidence in brain anatomy in Sapajus does not permit inferring correctly their higher cognitive abilities comparable to other nonhuman primates
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