Brain Behavior and Evolution最新文献

{"title":"Locomotor and cognitive evolution in early hominins: An evo-devo perspective.","authors":"Dean Falk","doi":"10.1159/000552070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000552070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Research on the relationship between the evolution of ontogenetic locomotor milestones and the emergence of advanced cognition in early hominins is reviewed and discussed from an evo-devo perspective that incorporates theoretical underpinnings from the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES). Comparative ontogenetic data from chimpanzee and human infants shed light on likely derivations in hominin locomotor milestones, their effect on the emergence of habitual bipedalism, and the latter's probable contribution(s) to cognitive evolution.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Human babies' locomotor milestone of crawling on hands and knees is hypothesized to have been derived during hominin evolution in place of a knuckle-walking developmental stage that likely existed in the apelike predecessors of the earliest hominins. A review of comparative research suggests that evolutionary modifications in crawling, sitting, and pointing in addition to selection for bipedalism, contributed to the progressive evolution of both locomotion and advanced cognition in hominins.</p><p><strong>Key messages: </strong>Comparisons of the ontogenetic development of locomotor stages in chimpanzee and human infants suggest that locomotor evolution and the emergence of advanced cognition were deeply intertwined during hominin evolution.</p>","PeriodicalId":56328,"journal":{"name":"Brain Behavior and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147718971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Scaling and neuronal counts evolutionary dynamics across amniotes.","authors":"Gabriele Sansalone, Silvia Castiglione, Giorgia Girardi, Paolo Dell Apos Albani, Pasquale Raia","doi":"10.1159/000551768","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000551768","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Similarly sized brains can be made of highly different neuron numbers, that is along the evolution of amniotes multiple shifts in the evolution of the brain-size vs brain-neurons scaling relationships should have occurred to justify the diversity we observe today. However, if such relationships are conserved within clades, a strong correlation between brain size and brain neurons evolutionary rates should be detected within all clades.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analysed previously published data of brain and body size and brain neuron numbers of 201 amniotes species spanning from Squamata, Testudines, Aves and Mammalia. We applied Phylogenetic Ridge Regression (RRphylo) to measure evolutionary rates of the scaling relationship between body- and brain-size and brain neuron numbers. We employed Bayesian phylogenetic regression and Robust phylogenetic regression to understand the evolutionary relationship between each variable.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We identified five major shifts in the rates of evolution of neuron numbers. Galloanserae (Aves), Ferungulata (Mammalia) and Primates (Mammalia) showed a positive shift, whereas Testudines (Reptilia) and Squamata (Reptilia) showed a negative shift. Furthermore, we detected a marked change in slope and intercept in Primates, Ferungulata and Galloanserae when compared with Squamata and Testudines. Furthermore, we detected a strong correlation between the evolutionary rates of body- and brain-size and brain neuron numbers in all clades except for Testudines and a weaker but significant correlation in Squamata.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>We confirm the presence of a marked shift in the scaling relationships between body- and brain-size and brain neuron numbers within mammals and birds. Primates display the highest slope, whereas Squamata and Testudines show the lowest slope. Furthermore, we detected the absence of correlation between the rates of evolution in Testudines and a weaker correlation in Squamata. These results suggest that not all amniotes show similar scaling trends between body- and brain-size and brain neuron numbers and that coordinated evolution between brain size and neuron numbers is an emergent property only of the most encephalised clades.</p>","PeriodicalId":56328,"journal":{"name":"Brain Behavior and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"1-21"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147583189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spectral Transmittance of the Ocular Media of Eight Seabird Species from Two Orders: Procellariiformes (Petrels and Shearwaters) and Suliformes (Gannets and Shags).","authors":"Ariel-Micaiah Heswall, Peter William Hadden, Jie Zhang, Megan Friesen, Kristal E Cain, Anne Gaskett","doi":"10.1159/000551766","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000551766","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Many, but not all, bird taxa possess the ability to see ultraviolet (UV) light, but it is currently unclear the extent this ability exists among seabirds. Measuring retinal photoreceptor sensitivity presents many challenges, but the penetration of UV light through the ocular media (ocular transmittance) is a good proxy for UV vision.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Here, we document the ocular transmission of light wavelengths using spectrometry through the eyes of eight Procellariiform and Suliform seabird species found in Aotearoa New Zealand.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We report that the eyes of most Procellariiformes, but not the Suliformes, can transmit UV wavelengths. Thus, there is the potential for those Procellariiformes to perceive UV.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Both phylogeny and ecology could play a role in UV vision in seabirds and understanding the wavelengths that seabirds perceive can be crucial for conservation against visual threats.</p>","PeriodicalId":56328,"journal":{"name":"Brain Behavior and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13143248/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147522871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Of Moles and Men-The Evolution and Design of Soft Tissue Forceps.","authors":"Kenneth C Catania, Christopher B Braun","doi":"10.1159/000551541","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000551541","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Star-nosed moles are renowned as the fastest foragers among mammals, able to identify and eat small prey in less than a quarter of a second. This ability stems in part from the mole's extraordinary mechanosensory star which has been the focus of many investigations. However, fast eating also requires a specialized motor system and associated structures. Here the mole's unusual incisors are explored as a key adaptation for efficient foraging.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>High-speed videos of foraging moles, including microscopic views at 1,000 frames per second were used to measure prey handling time and tooth movements. Scanning electron microscopy was used to assess tooth structure. Specimens from Cornell Museum of Vertebrates were examined with light microscopy. Data from previous investigations were compared to the present results.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A mole with worn front teeth was discovered and this specimen often failed to secure small prey efficiently, thus doubled the mole's handling time compared to normal specimens. The manner in which the worn teeth failed suggested the mole's normal incisors act in a manner analogous to a specific type of man-made surgical forceps-so called Yasargil tumor forceps.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results reveal an example of serendipitous biomimicry by human surgeons in designing soft-tissue forceps, highlight the importance of motor specializations in the star-nosed mole's fast foraging ability, and suggest some of the specific anatomical specialization that are the result of selection on the key variables (space clearance rate and handling time) in Holling's pioneering foraging theory equation.</p>","PeriodicalId":56328,"journal":{"name":"Brain Behavior and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147470293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How Imprinted Genes Shape Nurturing Behaviours and Neural Circuits.","authors":"Rachel A Jones, Matthew J Higgs, Anthony R Isles","doi":"10.1159/000551100","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000551100","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon that, in animals, is found only in viviparous mammals, such as eutherians and marsupials. Differential epigenetic marking of the genomes during gametogenesis leads to parent-of-origin-specific expression of imprinted genes, with some solely expressed from the maternally inherited allele, and others solely expressed from the paternally inherited allele. From an evolutionary perspective, genomic imprinting is fascinating, as it appears to negate the benefits of diploidy and yet correct expression of imprinted genes essential for normal development and function.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Genomic imprinting influences some key mammalian physiologies, including brain and behaviour. Imprinted gene expression is enriched in the \"parental hub\" neurons of the hypothalamus and the wider defined parental care circuitry. Furthermore, manipulation of a number of these imprinted genes in mice leads to changes in parental care giving.</p><p><strong>Key messages: </strong>We propose that imprinted genes are likely to influence parental behaviour at several levels. Given their over-representation, it is probable that the recognised \"imprinted gene network\" operates within the parental hub neurons of hypothalamus. In addition, expression of imprinted genes in the wider brain circuitry, and the pituitary, may modulate different aspects of parental care behaviour. Finally, the known functional consequences of altered imprinted gene expression most likely arise due to changes in the development and/or cellular composition of the parental care circuitry. However, it is clear there remains much to be discovered before we fully understand how and why genomic imprinting shapes nurturing and parental behaviours.</p>","PeriodicalId":56328,"journal":{"name":"Brain Behavior and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13048726/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147277546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pre- and Postnatal Ontogeny of Brain Size in Beluga and Bowhead Whales.","authors":"J G M Thewissen, Katheryn R Mars, David A Waugh, John Peacock, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, John J Citta","doi":"10.1159/000550974","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000550974","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Ontogenetic brain growth in cetaceans is essential for understanding their development and evolution. This study investigates brain size changes relative to body growth in bowhead (Balaena mysticetus) and beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) whales in the framework of age estimates of pre- and postnatal specimens.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We collected specimens in the field, determined brain size and endocranial volumes, as well as size of endocranial adnexa, either by direct measurement or by CT. We estimated age using baleen length (bowhead), growth layers in teeth (belugas), or fetal stages. We fitted Gompertz growth models to our data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our findings show that both bowhead and beluga whales reach nearly their full brain size by the end of weaning, unlike dolphins and humans, whose brains continue growing after weaning. Bowhead brains grow faster than those of belugas, and much faster than those of humans, and their rete mirabile occupies a much larger portion of the cranial cavity than in belugas. Encephalization quotients decline with age due to continued body growth after brain maturation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Brain growth in these cetacean species plateaus early, challenging the assumption that cetacean brains grow throughout life. In bowhead, the brain is significantly smaller than the cranial cavity, and this is not the case in beluga. If this observation can be generalized to all mysticetes and odontocetes, it implies that no single equation can capture the proportional volumes of the brain and cranial cavity across the entire cetacean clade.</p>","PeriodicalId":56328,"journal":{"name":"Brain Behavior and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13043132/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146183444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Precuneus and Superior Parietal Lobule: Morphology and Evolution in the Human Genus.","authors":"Emiliano Bruner","doi":"10.1159/000550920","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000550920","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Humans display larger and more complex parietal lobes, when compared with other primates. The superior parietal lobule is a region still poorly known in terms of comparative and evolutionary neuroanatomy, although at least its medial region, the precuneus, is apparently expanded in our species.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>In this article, I review 20 years of personal research on the morphology and evolution of this cortical element. The precuneus is particularly variable among adult humans, mostly in its dorsal and anterior areas. This large individual variability seems already settled at birth. During aging, this cortical region is particularly sensitive to atrophy and neurodegeneration. Its ventral areas are embedded in a complicated topological environment, suggesting spatial, metabolic, and vascular constraints.</p><p><strong>Key messages: </strong>Human and nonhuman primates share a similar organization of the superior parietal lobule, although with different proportions. Even when compared with extinct hominids, the precuneus in modern humans looks more expanded. These changes are expected to be associated with some cognitive variations, possibly involving visuospatial integration, body cognition, mental imaging, and self-construction.</p>","PeriodicalId":56328,"journal":{"name":"Brain Behavior and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"1-23"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146151556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecological Drivers of Dorsal Dentate Gyrus Folding and Hemispheric Asymmetry in Wild <italic>Octodon</italic>: New Insights from Sobrero et al. (2016).","authors":"Raúl Sobrero, Pedro Fernández-Aburto, Scarlett E Delgado, Álvaro Ly-Prieto, Luis A Ebensperger, Jorge Mpodozis","doi":"10.1159/000550871","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000550871","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>We reanalyzed data from Sobrero et al. [Brain Behav Evol. 2016;87:51-64] to evaluate dorsal dentate gyrus (dDG) folding or gyrification as a morphological proxy for neurogenesis and macrostructural plasticity in hippocampal or extracortical regions of wild rodents.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using Zilles' (ZGI) and Vogeley's (VGI) indices, we quantified dDG gyrification across hemispheres in Octodon degus and Octodon lunatus, comparing populations that differ in habitat complexity and social behavior.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Left dDG gyrification (ZGIL) showed a preliminary association with social group size, whereas right dDG gyrification (VGIR) was predicted by population differences. O. lunatus from shrub-dense environments exhibited greater dDG folding than O. degus from open habitats. Although not statistically significant, hemispheric asymmetries were suggested, consistent with previously reported right-lateralized DG cell numbers in O. lunatus and habitat-sociality effects on DG cell counts in O. degus from El Salitre.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These results support dDG gyrification as an informative marker of neural plasticity shaped by habitat conditions and emphasize the value of wild models in brain-ecology research.</p>","PeriodicalId":56328,"journal":{"name":"Brain Behavior and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146127651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Role of Temperature in Shaping the Nervous System Phenotype in the Epaulette Shark (<italic>Hemiscyllium ocellatum</italic>).","authors":"Emily E Peele, Carolyn R Wheeler, Jennifer T Wyffels, Jodie L Rummer, John W Mandelman, Kara E Yopak","doi":"10.1159/000550398","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000550398","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Over the last century, sea surface temperatures have increased by more than 0.5°C, with predictions suggesting an increase of 1-4°C by 2100. Oceanic warming poses significant challenges to marine species, particularly those with physiological and developmental processes that are tightly linked to environmental conditions. In cartilaginous fishes, including sharks, the brain grows continually throughout life, supported by the capacity for lifelong neurogenesis. This feature suggests that the nervous system - both peripheral (sensory) and central (brain) - of sharks may be highly plastic and able to adapt dynamically to a changing environment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We investigated the effects of elevated rearing temperature on brain development in the epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum), a species known for its tolerance of environmental fluctuations in intertidal habitats. Eggs (n = 12) were sourced from a breeding stock at the New England Aquarium and reared in either ambient (27°C) or elevated (31°C, 4°C above ambient) seawater temperatures until 2 months post-hatch. Using histological analyses, we compared the relative volume of the nose (olfactory rosette), total brain, and major brain regions between treatment groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Despite this species' natural exposure to temperature variability, generalized linear models revealed that elevated temperature significantly altered the volume of the olfactory sensory epithelium, olfactory bulbs, and medulla oblongata after accounting for overall brain size. Analyses of proportional brain region volumes also showed that elevated temperature was associated with reduced olfactory bulb size and increased subpallial volume relative to total brain size. These differences may suggest potential changes in cognitive capacity related to olfactory processing as well as sensory and/or motor functions at elevated temperatures.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>While short-term studies, such as this one, cannot capture long-term adaptive potential, understanding the impacts of elevated temperature on brain phenotypes provides critical insights into how elasmobranchs may cope with changing ocean conditions. Such knowledge will be vital for predicting the resilience of these ecologically important species to future environmental stressors.</p>","PeriodicalId":56328,"journal":{"name":"Brain Behavior and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"1-21"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145968083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Motor Control of the Wet Dog Shake Behavior in Rats.","authors":"Alexander Popov, Oleg Gorskii, Pavel Musienko","doi":"10.1159/000548010","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000548010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Wet dog shake (WDS) is a motion in mammals and birds, consisting in vigorous and rapid rotations of the head and trunk around the spinal axis, which allows them to dry themselves. WDS requires fine balance control. To date, motor control in WDS has not been studied.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Here, for the first time, we investigated the trunk and limbs muscle EMG activity and correlated it with the kinematics of body movement and ground reactions force during WDS in rats.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Strict reciprocity was revealed between the forelimb muscle on the right and left sides despite bipedal hindlimb position. Reciprocal activity was observed between the lumbar and the thoracic segments. The hindlimb muscle activity exhibited two distinct muscle synergies with strict reciprocity and atypical co-activity of flexors and extensors, which were previously observed in paw shaking behavior. These two synergies correlate with the two muscle groups of the pelvic fins of fish. The absence of typical postural responses of the hindlimb was revealed.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>(1) It is likely that WDS and paw shaking share a common nervous control. (2) The absence of typical postural responses may indicate that body balance in WDS is maintained by perfectly matched frequency and strength of the trunk muscle contractions. (3) In the hypothesis about the origin of WDS, based on the revealed characteristics, we compare it with the S-start response behavior in fish.</p>","PeriodicalId":56328,"journal":{"name":"Brain Behavior and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"49-63"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145214538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}