Abstract
We are interested here in the central organ of our thoughts: the brain. Advances in neuroscience have made it possible to obtain increasing information on the anatomy of this organ, at ever-higher resolutions, with different imaging techniques, on ever-larger samples. At the same time, paleoanthropology has to deal with partial reflections on the shape of the brain, on fragmentary specimens and small samples in an attempt to approach the morphology of the brain of past human species. It undeniably emerges from the perspective we propose here that paleoanthropology has much to gain from interacting more with the field of neuroimaging. Improving our understanding of the morphology of the endocast necessarily involves studying the external surface of the brain and the link it maintains with the internal surface of the skull. The contribution of neuroimaging will allow us to better define the relationship between brain and endocast. Models of intra- and inter-species variability in brain morphology inferred from large neuroimaging databases will help make the most of the rare endocasts of extinct species. We also conclude that exchanges between these two disciplines will also be beneficial to our knowledge of the Homo sapiens brain. Documenting the anatomy among other human species and including the variation over time within our own species are approaches that offer us a new perspective through which to appreciate what really characterizes the brain of humanity today.
Highlights
The brain is important to us as humans beings
In addition to detailing the current knowledge in “paleoneurology”, we explore how up-todate methodologies from different fields may help in the future to explore in more details the anatomy of the brain of other human species and to improve our deductions about their past behaviors
It undeniably emerges from this perspective that paleoanthropology has much to gain from interacting more with the field of neuroimaging
Summary
The brain is important to us as humans beings. Its anatomy contributes to the biological definition of our species, Homo sapiens, but is important to discuss evolutionary patterns along the last 7 millions years of human prehistory. An important constraint on these approaches is that the link between the structure of the brain and the information available on the endocast is not yet fully understood, whereas the possible peculiarities of the different human species must be addressed by this proxy In addition to this pronounced interest for the brain anatomy of our predecessors, there has been a new focus on our own particularities. This is why the study of the observed specific anatomical traits and structural asymmetries of the brains of living humans is of major importance as they are considered as an anatomical substrate of functional asymmetries in H. sapiens. In addition to detailing the current knowledge in “paleoneurology”, we explore how up-todate methodologies from different fields may help in the future to explore in more details the anatomy of the brain of other human species and to improve our deductions about their past behaviors
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