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Wang Y, Cheng L, Li D, Lu Y, Wang C, Wang Y, Gao C, Wang H, Vanduffel W, Hopkins WD, Sherwood CC, Jiang T, Chu C, Fan L. Comparative Analysis of Human-Chimpanzee Divergence in Brain Connectivity and its Genetic Correlates. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.03.597252. [PMID: 38895242 PMCID: PMC11185649 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.03.597252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are humans' closest living relatives, making them the most directly relevant comparison point for understanding human brain evolution. Zeroing in on the differences in brain connectivity between humans and chimpanzees can provide key insights into the specific evolutionary changes that might have occured along the human lineage. However, conducting comparisons of brain connectivity between humans and chimpanzees remains challenging, as cross-species brain atlases established within the same framework are currently lacking. Without the availability of cross-species brain atlases, the region-wise connectivity patterns between humans and chimpanzees cannot be directly compared. To address this gap, we built the first Chimpanzee Brainnetome Atlas (ChimpBNA) by following a well-established connectivity-based parcellation framework. Leveraging this new resource, we found substantial divergence in connectivity patterns across most association cortices, notably in the lateral temporal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex between the two species. Intriguingly, these patterns significantly deviate from the patterns of cortical expansion observed in humans compared to chimpanzees. Additionally, we identified regions displaying connectional asymmetries that differed between species, likely resulting from evolutionary divergence. Genes associated with these divergent connectivities were found to be enriched in cell types crucial for cortical projection circuits and synapse formation. These genes exhibited more pronounced differences in expression patterns in regions with higher connectivity divergence, suggesting a potential foundation for brain connectivity evolution. Therefore, our study not only provides a fine-scale brain atlas of chimpanzees but also highlights the connectivity divergence between humans and chimpanzees in a more rigorous and comparative manner and suggests potential genetic correlates for the observed divergence in brain connectivity patterns between the two species. This can help us better understand the origins and development of uniquely human cognitive capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufan Wang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Luqi Cheng
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, China
- Research Center for Augmented Intelligence, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Deying Li
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yuheng Lu
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Changshuo Wang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yaping Wang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Chaohong Gao
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Department of Neurosciences, Laboratory of Neuro- and Psychophysiology, KU Leuven Medical School, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wim Vanduffel
- Department of Neurosciences, Laboratory of Neuro- and Psychophysiology, KU Leuven Medical School, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02144, USA
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
| | - Chet C. Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Research Center for Augmented Intelligence, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Congying Chu
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Lingzhong Fan
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao 266000, China
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2
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Structural Brain Asymmetries for Language: A Comparative Approach across Primates. Symmetry (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/sym14050876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans are the only species that can speak. Nonhuman primates, however, share some ‘domain-general’ cognitive properties that are essential to language processes. Whether these shared cognitive properties between humans and nonhuman primates are the results of a continuous evolution [homologies] or of a convergent evolution [analogies] remain difficult to demonstrate. However, comparing their respective underlying structure—the brain—to determinate their similarity or their divergence across species is critical to help increase the probability of either of the two hypotheses, respectively. Key areas associated with language processes are the Planum Temporale, Broca’s Area, the Arcuate Fasciculus, Cingulate Sulcus, The Insula, Superior Temporal Sulcus, the Inferior Parietal lobe, and the Central Sulcus. These structures share a fundamental feature: They are functionally and structurally specialised to one hemisphere. Interestingly, several nonhuman primate species, such as chimpanzees and baboons, show human-like structural brain asymmetries for areas homologous to key language regions. The question then arises: for what function did these asymmetries arise in non-linguistic primates, if not for language per se? In an attempt to provide some answers, we review the literature on the lateralisation of the gestural communication system, which may represent the missing behavioural link to brain asymmetries for language area’s homologues in our common ancestor.
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Cheng L, Zhang Y, Li G, Wang J, Sherwood C, Gong G, Fan L, Jiang T. Connectional asymmetry of the inferior parietal lobule shapes hemispheric specialization in humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques. eLife 2021; 10:e67600. [PMID: 34219649 PMCID: PMC8257252 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The inferior parietal lobule (IPL) is one of the most expanded cortical regions in humans relative to other primates. It is also among the most structurally and functionally asymmetric regions in the human cerebral cortex. Whether the structural and connectional asymmetries of IPL subdivisions differ across primate species and how this relates to functional asymmetries remain unclear. We identified IPL subregions that exhibited positive allometric in both hemispheres, scaling across rhesus macaque monkeys, chimpanzees, and humans. The patterns of IPL subregions asymmetry were similar in chimpanzees and humans, but no IPL asymmetries were evident in macaques. Among the comparative sample of primates, humans showed the most widespread asymmetric connections in the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices, constituting leftward asymmetric networks that may provide an anatomical basis for language and tool use. Unique human asymmetric connectivity between the IPL and primary motor cortex might be related to handedness. These findings suggest that structural and connectional asymmetries may underlie hemispheric specialization of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luqi Cheng
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yuanchao Zhang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Gang Li
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jiaojian Wang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of NeuroscienceShenzhenChina
| | - Chet Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Gaolang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Lingzhong Fan
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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4
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Vickery S, Hopkins WD, Sherwood CC, Schapiro SJ, Latzman RD, Caspers S, Gaser C, Eickhoff SB, Dahnke R, Hoffstaedter F. Chimpanzee brain morphometry utilizing standardized MRI preprocessing and macroanatomical annotations. eLife 2020; 9:e60136. [PMID: 33226338 PMCID: PMC7723405 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimpanzees are among the closest living relatives to humans and, as such, provide a crucial comparative model for investigating primate brain evolution. In recent years, human brain mapping has strongly benefited from enhanced computational models and image processing pipelines that could also improve data analyses in animals by using species-specific templates. In this study, we use structural MRI data from the National Chimpanzee Brain Resource (NCBR) to develop the chimpanzee brain reference template Juna.Chimp for spatial registration and the macro-anatomical brain parcellation Davi130 for standardized whole-brain analysis. Additionally, we introduce a ready-to-use image processing pipeline built upon the CAT12 toolbox in SPM12, implementing a standard human image preprocessing framework in chimpanzees. Applying this approach to data from 194 subjects, we find strong evidence for human-like age-related gray matter atrophy in multiple regions of the chimpanzee brain, as well as, a general rightward asymmetry in brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Vickery
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7) Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| | - William D Hopkins
- Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastropUnited States
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Steven J Schapiro
- Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastropUnited States
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Robert D Latzman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
- JARA-BRAIN, Jülich-Aachen Research AllianceJülichGermany
| | - Christian Gaser
- Structural Brain Mapping Group, Department of Neurology, Jena University HospitalJenaGermany
- Structural Brain Mapping Group, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University HospitalJenaGermany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7) Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| | - Robert Dahnke
- Structural Brain Mapping Group, Department of Neurology, Jena University HospitalJenaGermany
- Structural Brain Mapping Group, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University HospitalJenaGermany
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Felix Hoffstaedter
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7) Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
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5
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Croxson PL, Forkel SJ, Cerliani L, Thiebaut de Schotten M. Structural Variability Across the Primate Brain: A Cross-Species Comparison. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:3829-3841. [PMID: 29045561 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A large amount of variability exists across human brains; revealed initially on a small scale by postmortem studies and, more recently, on a larger scale with the advent of neuroimaging. Here we compared structural variability between human and macaque monkey brains using grey and white matter magnetic resonance imaging measures. The monkey brain was overall structurally as variable as the human brain, but variability had a distinct distribution pattern, with some key areas showing high variability. We also report the first evidence of a relationship between anatomical variability and evolutionary expansion in the primate brain. This suggests a relationship between variability and stability, where areas of low variability may have evolved less recently and have more stability, while areas of high variability may have evolved more recently and be less similar across individuals. We showed specific differences between the species in key areas, including the amount of hemispheric asymmetry in variability, which was left-lateralized in the human brain across several phylogenetically recent regions. This suggests that cerebral variability may be another useful measure for comparison between species and may add another dimension to our understanding of evolutionary mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula L Croxson
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L Levy Place, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephanie J Forkel
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,Natbrainlab, Department Forensics and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Leonardo Cerliani
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour group, Brain and Spine Institute, Paris, France.,Frontlab, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), UPMC UMRS 1127, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France
| | - Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour group, Brain and Spine Institute, Paris, France.,Frontlab, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), UPMC UMRS 1127, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France
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6
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Xia J, Wang F, Wu Z, Wang L, Zhang C, Shen D, Li G. Mapping hemispheric asymmetries of the macaque cerebral cortex during early brain development. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 41:95-106. [PMID: 31532054 PMCID: PMC7267900 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying cortical hemispheric asymmetries during the dynamic early postnatal stages in macaque monkeys (with close phylogenetic relationship to humans) would increase our limited understanding on the possible origins, developmental trajectories, and evolutional mechanisms of brain asymmetries in nonhuman primates, but remains a blind spot to the community. Via cortical surface-based morphometry, we comprehensively analyze hemispheric structural asymmetries in 134 longitudinal MRI scans from birth to 20 months of age from 32 healthy macaque monkeys. We reveal that most clusters of hemispheric asymmetries of cortical properties, such as surface area, cortical thickness, sulcal depth, and vertex positions, expand in the first 4 months of life, and evolve only moderately thereafter. Prominent hemispheric asymmetries are found at the inferior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, posterior temporal cortex, superior temporal gyrus (STG), superior temporal sulcus (STS), and cingulate cortex. Specifically, the left planum temporale and left STG consistently have larger area and thicker cortices than those on the right hemisphere, while the right STS, right cingulate cortex, and right anterior insula are consistently deeper than the left ones, partially consistent with the findings in human infants and adults. Our results thus provide a valuable reference in studying early brain development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xia
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Zhengwang Wu
- Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Caiming Zhang
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Dinggang Shen
- Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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7
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Thiebaut de Schotten M, Croxson PL, Mars RB. Large-scale comparative neuroimaging: Where are we and what do we need? Cortex 2019; 118:188-202. [PMID: 30661736 PMCID: PMC6699599 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging has a lot to offer comparative neuroscience. Although invasive "gold standard" techniques have a better spatial resolution, neuroimaging allows fast, whole-brain, repeatable, and multi-modal measurements of structure and function in living animals and post-mortem tissue. In the past years, comparative neuroimaging has increased in popularity. However, we argue that its most significant potential lies in its ability to collect large-scale datasets of many species to investigate principles of variability in brain organisation across whole orders of species-an ambition that is presently unfulfilled but achievable. We briefly review the current state of the field and explore what the current obstacles to such an approach are. We propose some calls to action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Group, Sorbonne Universities, Paris France; Frontlab, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), UPMC UMRS 1127, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR, Paris, France; Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Paula L Croxson
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Rogier B Mars
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
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8
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Hopkins WD, Latzman RD, Mareno MC, Schapiro SJ, Gómez-Robles A, Sherwood CC. Heritability of Gray Matter Structural Covariation and Tool Use Skills in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): A Source-Based Morphometry and Quantitative Genetic Analysis. Cereb Cortex 2019; 29:3702-3711. [PMID: 30307488 PMCID: PMC6686745 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonhuman primates, and great apes in particular, possess a variety of cognitive abilities thought to underlie human brain and cognitive evolution, most notably, the manufacture and use of tools. In a relatively large sample (N = 226) of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) for whom pedigrees are well known, the overarching aim of the current study was to investigate the source of heritable variation in brain structure underlying tool use skills. Specifically, using source-based morphometry (SBM), a multivariate analysis of naturally occurring patterns of covariation in gray matter across the brain, we investigated (1) the genetic contributions to variation in SBM components, (2) sex and age effects for each component, and (3) phenotypic and genetic associations between SBM components and tool use skill. Results revealed important sex- and age-related differences across largely heritable SBM components and associations between structural covariation and tool use skill. Further, shared genetic mechanisms appear to account for a heritable link between variation in both the capacity to use tools and variation in morphology of the superior limb of the superior temporal sulcus and adjacent parietal cortex. Findings represent the first evidence of heritability of structural covariation in gray matter among nonhuman primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Robert D Latzman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mary Catherine Mareno
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA
| | - Steven J Schapiro
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA
| | - Aida Gómez-Robles
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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9
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Brozzoli C, Roy AC, Lidborg LH, Lövdén M. Language as a Tool: Motor Proficiency Using a Tool Predicts Individual Linguistic Abilities. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1639. [PMID: 31379674 PMCID: PMC6659550 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Different disciplines converge to trace language evolution from motor skills. The human ability to use tools has been advocated as a fundamental step toward the emergence of linguistic processes in the brain. Neuropsychological and neuroimaging research has established that linguistic functions and tool-use are mediated by partially overlapping brain networks. Yet, scholars still theoretically debate whether the relationship between tool-use and language is contingent or functionally relevant, since empirical evidence is critically missing. Here, we measured both linguistic production and tool-use abilities in the same participants, as well as manual and linguistic motor skills. A path analysis ruling out unspecific contributions from manual or linguistic motor skills, showed that motor proficiency using a tool lawfully predicts differences in individual linguistic production. In addition, more complex tool-use reveals stronger association between linguistic production and tool mastery. These findings establish the existence of shared cognitive processes between tool-use and language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Brozzoli
- Integrative Multisensory Perception Action & Cognition Team (ImpAct), Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS U5292, Lyon, France.,University of Lyon, Lyon, France.,Hospices Civils de Lyon, Mouvement et Handicap and Neuro-immersion, Lyon, France.,Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alice C Roy
- University of Lyon, Lyon, France.,Dynamique du Langage, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5596, Lyon, France
| | - Linda H Lidborg
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Lövdén
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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10
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Hopkins WD, Li X, Roberts N. More intelligent chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) have larger brains and increased cortical thickness. INTELLIGENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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11
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Cerebral torque is human specific and unrelated to brain size. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:1141-1150. [PMID: 30635713 PMCID: PMC6499874 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-01818-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The term "cerebral torque" refers to opposing right-left asymmetries of frontal and parieto-occipital regions. These are assumed to derive from a lateralized gradient of embryological development of the human brain. To establish the timing of its evolution, we computed and compared the torque, in terms of three principal features, namely petalia, shift, and bending of the inter-hemispheric fissure as well as the inter-hemispheric asymmetry of brain length, height and width for in vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans of 91 human and 78 chimpanzee brains. We found that the cerebral torque is specific to the human brain and that its magnitude is independent of brain size and that it comprises features that are inter-related. These findings are consistent with the concept that a "punctuational" genetic change of relatively large effect introduced lateralization in the hominid lineage. The existence of the cerebral torque remains an unsolved mystery and the present study provides further support for this most prominent structural brain asymmetry being specific to the human brain. Establishing the genetic origins of the torque may, therefore, have relevance for a better understanding on human evolution, the organisation of the human brain, and, perhaps, also aspects of the neural basis of language.
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12
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Hopkins WD, Misiura M, Pope SM, Latash EM. Behavioral and brain asymmetries in primates: a preliminary evaluation of two evolutionary hypotheses. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2015; 1359:65-83. [PMID: 26426409 PMCID: PMC4715693 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Contrary to many historical views, recent evidence suggests that species-level behavioral and brain asymmetries are evident in nonhuman species. Here, we briefly present evidence of behavioral, perceptual, cognitive, functional, and neuroanatomical asymmetries in nonhuman primates. In addition, we describe two historical accounts of the evolutionary origins of hemispheric specialization and present data from nonhuman primates that address these specific theories. Specifically, we first discuss the evidence that genes play specific roles in determining left-right differences in anatomical and functional asymmetries in primates. We next consider and present data on the hypothesis that hemispheric specialization evolved as a by-product of increasing brain size relative to the surface area of the corpus callosum in different primate species. Last, we discuss some of the challenges in the study of hemispheric specialization in primates and offer some suggestions on how to advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Maria Misiura
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Sarah M Pope
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Elitaveta M Latash
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
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13
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Zhao D, Wang Y, Han K, Zhang H, Li B. Does target animacy influence manual laterality of monkeys? First answer from northern pig-tailed macaques (Macaca leonina). Anim Cogn 2015; 18:931-6. [PMID: 25805651 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-015-0863-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Revised: 02/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary origin of human right-handedness remains unclear. Many factors such as emotion and tool use have been implicated in primate handedness evolution. With regard to emotional lateralization, most related research focuses on facial asymmetry and behavioral laterality under the non-social context, whereas few studies investigate social laterality. This study, for the first time, investigates the effect of target animacy on hand preference in Old World monkeys, compares our findings with previous related studies in great apes and humans, and aids in filling the knowledge gap on primate handedness evolution. Nine captive northern pig-tailed macaques (Macaca leonina) were chosen as focal subjects in this study. There was no group-level handedness for both animate and inanimate targets. No significant interaction was found between lateral hand use and target animacy. Left-hand use was more frequent than right-hand use for animate targets, whereas right-hand use was more frequent than left-hand use for inanimate targets, both of which demonstrate no significant level. On the whole, northern pig-tailed macaques showed a similar tendency as that in great apes and humans. Regarding handedness linked with emotive stimuli, it is likely that Old World monkeys, great apes and humans evolved from a common ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dapeng Zhao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Binshui West Road 393, Xiqing District, Tianjin, 300387, China,
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14
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Hecht EE, Gutman DA, Bradley BA, Preuss TM, Stout D. Virtual dissection and comparative connectivity of the superior longitudinal fasciculus in chimpanzees and humans. Neuroimage 2015; 108:124-37. [PMID: 25534109 PMCID: PMC4324003 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.12.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many of the behavioral capacities that distinguish humans from other primates rely on fronto-parietal circuits. The superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) is the primary white matter tract connecting lateral frontal with lateral parietal regions; it is distinct from the arcuate fasciculus, which interconnects the frontal and temporal lobes. Here we report a direct, quantitative comparison of SLF connectivity using virtual in vivo dissection of the SLF in chimpanzees and humans. SLF I, the superior-most branch of the SLF, showed similar patterns of connectivity between humans and chimpanzees, and was proportionally volumetrically larger in chimpanzees. SLF II, the middle branch, and SLF III, the inferior-most branch, showed species differences in frontal connectivity. In humans, SLF II showed greater connectivity with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, whereas in chimps SLF II showed greater connectivity with the inferior frontal gyrus. SLF III was right-lateralized and proportionally volumetrically larger in humans, and human SLF III showed relatively reduced connectivity with dorsal premotor cortex and greater extension into the anterior inferior frontal gyrus, especially in the right hemisphere. These results have implications for the evolution of fronto-parietal functions including spatial attention to observed actions, social learning, and tool use, and are in line with previous research suggesting a unique role for the right anterior inferior frontal gyrus in the evolution of human fronto-parietal network architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Hecht
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Rm 114, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - David A Gutman
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University School of Medicine, 36 Eagle Row, PAIS Building, 5th Floor South, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Bruce A Bradley
- Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter, Laver Building, North Park Road, Exeter EX4 4QE, UK.
| | - Todd M Preuss
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Div. Neuropharmacology & Neurologic Diseases & Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd., Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Dietrich Stout
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Rm 114, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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15
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Hopkins WD, Misiura M, Reamer LA, Schaeffer JA, Mareno MC, Schapiro SJ. Poor receptive joint attention skills are associated with atypical gray matter asymmetry in the posterior superior temporal gyrus of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Front Psychol 2014; 5:7. [PMID: 24523703 PMCID: PMC3905213 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical and experimental data have implicated the posterior superior temporal gyrus as an important cortical region in the processing of socially relevant stimuli such as gaze following, eye direction, and head orientation. Gaze following and responding to different socio-communicative signals is an important and highly adaptive skill in primates, including humans. Here, we examined whether individual differences in responding to socio-communicative cues was associated with variation in either gray matter (GM) volume and asymmetry in a sample of chimpanzees. Magnetic resonance image scans and behavioral data on receptive joint attention (RJA) was obtained from a sample of 191 chimpanzees. We found that chimpanzees that performed poorly on the RJA task had less GM in the right compared to left hemisphere in the posterior but not anterior superior temporal gyrus. We further found that middle-aged and elderly chimpanzee performed more poorly on the RJA task and had significantly less GM than young-adult and sub-adult chimpanzees. The results are consistent with previous studies implicating the posterior temporal gyrus in the processing of socially relevant information.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D. Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
- Language Research Center, Georgia State University Atlanta, GA, USA
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research CenterAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - Maria Misiura
- Department of Psychology, Agnes Scott CollegeDecatur, GA, USA
| | - Lisa A. Reamer
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastrop, TX, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Schaeffer
- Language Research Center, Georgia State University Atlanta, GA, USA
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research CenterAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mary C. Mareno
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastrop, TX, USA
| | - Steven J. Schapiro
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastrop, TX, USA
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
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16
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17
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Tabiowo E, Forrester GS. Structured bimanual actions and hand transfers reveal population-level right-handedness in captive gorillas. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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18
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Phillips KA, Schaeffer J, Barrett E, Hopkins WD. Performance asymmetries in tool use are associated with corpus callosum integrity in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): a diffusion tensor imaging study. Behav Neurosci 2013; 127:106-13. [PMID: 23398443 DOI: 10.1037/a0031089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The authors examined the relationship of corpus callosum (CC) morphology and organization to hand preference and performance on a motor skill task in chimpanzees. Handedness was assessed using a complex tool use task that simulated termite fishing. Chimpanzees were initially allowed to perform the task wherein they could choose which hand to use (preference measure), then they were required to complete trials using each hand (performance measure). Two measures were used to assess the CC: midsagittal area obtained from in vivo magnetic resonance images and density of transcallosal connections as determined by fractional anisotropy values obtained from diffusion tensor imaging. The authors hypothesized that chimpanzees would perform better on their preferred hand compared to the nonpreferred hand, and that strength of behavioral lateralization (rather the direction) on this task would be negatively correlated to regions of the CC involved in motor processing. Results indicate that the preferred hand was the most adept hand. Performance asymmetries correlated with fractional anisotropy measures but not area measures of the CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley A Phillips
- Department of Psychology, Trinity University, 1 Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA.
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19
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Hopkins WD. Neuroanatomical asymmetries and handedness in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): a case for continuity in the evolution of hemispheric specialization. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2013; 1288:17-35. [PMID: 23647534 PMCID: PMC3676728 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Many historical and contemporary theorists have proposed that population-level behavioral and brain asymmetries are unique to humans and evolved as a consequence of human-specific adaptations such as language, tool manufacture and use, and bipedalism. Recent studies in nonhuman animals, notably primates, have begun to challenge this view. Here, I summarize comparative data on neuroanatomical asymmetries in the planum temporale (PT) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) of humans and chimpanzees, regions considered the morphological equivalents to Broca's and Wernicke's areas. I also review evidence of population-level handedness in captive and wild chimpanzees. When similar methods and landmarks are used to define the PT and IFG, humans and chimpanzees show similar patterns of asymmetry in both cortical regions, though humans show more pronounced directional biases. Similarly, there is good evidence that chimpanzees show population-level handedness, though, again, the expression of handedness is less robust compared to humans. These results stand in contrast to reported claims of significant differences in the distribution of handedness in humans and chimpanzees, and I discuss some possible explanations for the discrepancies in the neuroanatomical and behavioral data.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA.
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20
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Marchant LF, McGrew WC. Handedness is more than laterality: lessons from chimpanzees. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2013; 1288:1-8. [PMID: 23601007 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Is human handedness unique? That is, do our nearest living relations, chimpanzee and bonobo (Pan spp.) show species-wide handedness, as is seen in living Homo sapiens? The answer may depend on definition: Handedness (congruence across subjects and across tasks) should be distinguished from hand preference (within subject and task), manual specialization (within subject, across tasks), and task specialization (across subjects, within task). Comparison is required at both population and species level. Several methodological issues (e.g., ecological validity) are crucial, as are major confounding variables (e.g., bimanuality). The behavioral manual laterality of chimpanzees is well-studied in a variety of contexts. Especially important is tool use, which seems to enhance extent of lateralization, but this varies both within and across populations. There is much evidence for task specialization in chimpanzees, but no conclusive evidence of handedness in the strictest sense. Thus, human handedness seems to be unique among living hominoids.
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Evolutionary origins of human handedness: evaluating contrasting hypotheses. Anim Cogn 2013; 16:531-42. [PMID: 23546932 PMCID: PMC3684717 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-013-0626-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Revised: 01/22/2013] [Accepted: 03/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Variation in methods and measures, resulting in past dispute over the existence of population handedness in nonhuman great apes, has impeded progress into the origins of human right-handedness and how it relates to the human hallmark of language. Pooling evidence from behavioral studies, neuroimaging and neuroanatomy, we evaluate data on manual and cerebral laterality in humans and other apes engaged in a range of manipulative tasks and in gestural communication. A simplistic human/animal partition is no longer tenable, and we review four (nonexclusive) possible drivers for the origin of population-level right-handedness: skilled manipulative activity, as in tool use; communicative gestures; organizational complexity of action, in particular hierarchical structure; and the role of intentionality in goal-directed action. Fully testing these hypotheses will require developmental and evolutionary evidence as well as modern neuroimaging data.
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22
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Bogart SL, Pruetz JD, Ormiston LK, Russell JL, Meguerditchian A, Hopkins WD. Termite fishing laterality in the Fongoli savanna chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus): further evidence of a left hand preference. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 149:591-8. [PMID: 23129227 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2012] [Accepted: 09/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Whether nonhuman primates show population-level handedness is a topic of much scientific debate. A previous study of handedness for termite fishing reported population-level left handedness in the chimpanzees from Gombe National Park, Tanzania. In the current study, we examined whether similar hand preferences were evident in a savanna-dwelling chimpanzee population with regards to termite fishing. Hand preference data were collected for 27 chimpanzees from February 2007 through July 2008 and November 2011 through January 2012 in southeastern Senegal. Overall, the Fongoli chimpanzees demonstrate a trend toward population-level handedness, though the results did not reach conventional levels of statistical significance likely due to the limited sample size. Fongoli chimpanzees showed the same pattern of left hand preference as reported at Gombe and the two populations did not differ significantly. When the data were combined across all studies, wild chimpanzees showed a population-level left hand preference for termite fishing.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L Bogart
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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