Brain shape and thermoregulation: a quantitative approach

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Brain shape and thermoregulation: a quantitative approach Emiliano Bruner1*, José Manuel De La Cuétara1 and Fabio Musso2 1 Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Spain 2 Universidad de Burgos, Spain Brain thermoregulation is a debated topic in human physiology and evolution. Despite the high energy loadings associated with brain metabolism in humans, specific thermoregulatory mechanisms are unknown. Paleoneurological evidence based onto fossil record cannot give direct information on metabolism. However, correlations between thermoregulation and brain morphology can provide partial indications on this issue. Heat dissipation depends upon many factors, including geometry. Therefore, investigating the relationship between brain shape and heat dissipation patterns can supply indirect information on brain evolution in hominids. Here we present a computational approach to describe the patterns of heat dissipation in endocranial casts, providing tools to quantify species-specific differences. As case-study, we used samples from humans and chimpanzees, supplying results from intra-specific and inter-specific variation. Numerical modelling and thermic maps are used to describe the values of heat dissipation on the endocranial maps, and methods of comparison of the differences are evaluated accordingly. Absolute and relative variations are considered in terms of value distribution and residuals from expected models. The results show that this approach is effective in evidencing local and general differences between the species-specific heat dissipation patterns, providing a quantitative tool for investigating possible relationships between brain morphology and heat management in paleoneurology. Keywords: brain metabolism, heat dissipation, paleoneurology References Armstrong E. 1983. Relative brain size and metabolism in mammals. Science 220:1302-1204. Bruner E., Mantini S., Musso F., de la Cuétara J.M., Ripani M. & Sherkat S. 2011. The evolution of the meningeal vascular system in the human genus: from brain shape to thermoregulation. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 23: 35-43. Caputa M. 2004. Selective brain cooling: a multiple regulatory mechanism. J Therm Biol 29:691-702. Martin RD. 1981. Relative brain size and basal metabolic rate in terrestrial vertebrates. Nature 293:57-60. Nelson DA, Nunneley SA. 1998. Brain temperature and limits on transcranial cooling in humans: quantitative modeling results. Eur J Appl Physiol 78:353-359. Keywords: computational neuroscience, brain metabolism, heat dissipation, paleoneurology, brain shape Conference: 5th INCF Congress of Neuroinformatics, Munich, Germany, 10 Sep - 12 Sep, 2012. Presentation Type: Poster Topic: Neuroinformatics Citation: Bruner E, De La Cuétara J and Musso F (2014). Brain shape and thermoregulation: a quantitative approach. Front. Neuroinform. Conference Abstract: 5th INCF Congress of Neuroinformatics. doi: 10.3389/conf.fninf.2014.08.00055 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 21 Mar 2013; Published Online: 27 Feb 2014. * Correspondence: Dr. Emiliano Bruner, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain, emiliano.bruner@cenieh.es Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Emiliano Bruner José Manuel De La Cuétara Fabio Musso Google Emiliano Bruner José Manuel De La Cuétara Fabio Musso Google Scholar Emiliano Bruner José Manuel De La Cuétara Fabio Musso PubMed Emiliano Bruner José Manuel De La Cuétara Fabio Musso Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.