Brain structure and function: a multidisciplinary pipeline to study hominoid brain evolution

Citation

Friederici AD, Wittig RM, Anwander A, Eichner C, Gräßle T, Jäger C, Kirilina E, Lipp I, Düx A, Edwards LJ, Girard-Buttoz C, Jauch A, Kopp KS, Paquette M & EBC Consortium (2024) Brain structure and function: a multidisciplinary pipeline to study hominoid brain evolution. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 17, Art. No.: 1299087. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2023.1299087

Abstract
To decipher the evolution of the hominoid brain and its functions, it is essential to conduct comparative studies in primates, including our closest living relatives. However, strong ethical concerns preclude in vivo neuroimaging of great apes. We propose a responsible and multidisciplinary alternative approach that links behavior to brain anatomy in non-human primates from diverse ecological backgrounds. The brains of primates observed in the wild or in captivity are extracted and fixed shortly after natural death, and then studied using advanced MRI neuroimaging and histology to reveal macro- and microstructures. By linking detailed neuroanatomy with observed behavior within and across primate species, our approach provides new perspectives on brain evolution. Combined with endocranial brain imprints extracted from computed tomographic scans of the skulls these data provide a framework for decoding evolutionary changes in hominin fossils. This approach is poised to become a key resource for investigating the evolution and functional differentiation of hominoid brains.

Keywords
non-human primates; behavior; structural MRI; histology; hominoid fossil

Notes
Additional authors: Kerrin J. Pine, Steve Unwin, Daniel B M Haun, Fabian H Leendertz, Richard McElreath, Markus Morawski, Philipp Gunz, Nikolaus Weiskopf, Catherine Crockford. EBC Consortium is: Daniel Ashoff, Karoline Albig, Bala Amarasekaran, Sam Angedakin, Alfred Anwander, Caroline Asiimwe, Christian Bock, Birgit Blazey, Andreas Bernhard, Jacinta C Beehner, Laurent Bailanda, Raphael Belais, Thore J Bergman, Denny Böttcher, Tatiana Bortolato, Penelope Carlier, Julian Chantrey, Catherine Crockford, Daniela Denk, Tobias Deschner, Ariane Düx, Luke J. Edwards, Cornelius Eichner, Dag Encke, Gelardine Escoubas, Malak Ettaj, Pawel Fedurek, Karina Flores, Alejandra Romero Florero, Richard Franke, Angela D Friederici, Cedric Girard-Buttoz, Jorge Gomez Fortun, Tobias Gräßle, Eva Gruber-Dujardin, Philipp Gunz, Susan Hambrecht, Florian Hansmann, Jess Hartel, Daniel BM Haun, Michael Henshall, Catherine Hobaiter, Noémie Hofman, Jennifer E Jaffe, Carsten Jäger, Anna Jauch, Stomy Karhemere, Evgenya Kirilina, Robert Klopfleisch, Tobias Knauf-Witzens, Kathrin Kopp, Bastian Lange, Kevin E Langergraber, Arne Lawrenz, Kevin Lee, Fabian H Leendertz, Illona Lipp, Matyas Liptovszky, Christelle Patricia Lumbu, Patrice Makouloutou Nzassi, Guy Landry Mamboundou Kouima, Kerstin Mätz-Rensing, Richard McElreath, Zoltan Mezö, Fanny Minesi, Sophie Moittie, Torsten Møller, Markus Morawski, Dave Morgan, Mathias Müller, Timothy Mugabe, Martin Muller, Karin Olofsson-Sannö, Alain Ondzie, Emily Otali, Michael Paquette, Simone Pika, Kerrin J. Pine, Andrea Pizarro, Kamilla Pleh, Sandra Reichler-Danielowski, Jessica Rendel, Martha M Robbins, Konstantin Ruske, Liran Samuni, Crickette Sanz, Jan Schinköthe, André Schüle, Ingo Schwabe, Katarina Schwalm, Anistan Sebastiampillai, Lara Southern, Sheri Speede, Jonas Steiner, Mark F Stidworthy, Martin Surbeck, Claudia A. Szentiks, Tanguy Tanga, Tobias Loubser Theron, Reiner Ulrich, Steve Unwin, Erica van de Waal, Sue Walker, Nikolaus Weiskopf, Gudrun Wibbelt, Navena Widulin, Hermann Will, Roman M Wittig, Kim Wood, Emiliano Zaccarella, Klaus Zuberbühler

Journal
Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience: Volume 17

People

Dr Pawel Fedurek

Lecturer in Psychology, Psychology