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

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.
Competing Interests: The Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences has an institutional research agreement with Siemens Healthcare. NW holds a patent on acquisition of MRI data during spoiler gradients (US 10,401,453 B2). NW was a speaker at an event organized by Siemens Healthcare and was reimbursed for the travel expenses. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
(Copyright © 2024 Friederici, Wittig, Anwander, Eichner, Gräßle, Jäger, Kirilina, Lipp, Düx, Edwards, Girard-Buttoz, Jauch, Kopp, Paquette, Pine, Unwin, Haun, Leendertz, McElreath, Morawski, Gunz, Weiskopf, Crockford and EBC Consortium.)