TY - JOUR
T1 - A comparative MRI study of the relationship between neuroanatomical asymmetry and interhemispheric connectivity in primates
T2 - Implication for the evolution of functional asymmetries
AU - Hopkins, William D.
AU - Rilling, James K.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - The authors tested the theory that hemispheric specialization evolved as a consequence of reduced interhemispheric connectivity by examining whether neuroanatomical asymmetries were associated with variation in the ratio of corpus callosum size to brain volume (CC:VOL) and to neocortical surface area (CC:NEO) in human and nonhuman primates. Magnetic resonance images were collected in a sample of 45 primates including 8 New World monkeys, 10 Old World monkeys, 4 lesser apes, 17 great apes, and 6 humans. CC:VOL and CC:NEO were determined and correlated with measures of brain asymmetry. The results indicate that brain asymmetry significantly predicted CC:VOL and CC:NEO. Subsequent analyses revealed that species variation in functional asymmetries in the form of handedness are also inversely related to CC:NEO. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that leftward brain asymmetries may have evolved as a consequence of reduced interhemispheric connectivity.
AB - The authors tested the theory that hemispheric specialization evolved as a consequence of reduced interhemispheric connectivity by examining whether neuroanatomical asymmetries were associated with variation in the ratio of corpus callosum size to brain volume (CC:VOL) and to neocortical surface area (CC:NEO) in human and nonhuman primates. Magnetic resonance images were collected in a sample of 45 primates including 8 New World monkeys, 10 Old World monkeys, 4 lesser apes, 17 great apes, and 6 humans. CC:VOL and CC:NEO were determined and correlated with measures of brain asymmetry. The results indicate that brain asymmetry significantly predicted CC:VOL and CC:NEO. Subsequent analyses revealed that species variation in functional asymmetries in the form of handedness are also inversely related to CC:NEO. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that leftward brain asymmetries may have evolved as a consequence of reduced interhemispheric connectivity.
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U2 - 10.1037/0735-7044.114.4.739
DO - 10.1037/0735-7044.114.4.739
M3 - Article
C2 - 10959533
AN - SCOPUS:0033839171
SN - 0735-7044
VL - 114
SP - 739
EP - 748
JO - Behavioral Neuroscience
JF - Behavioral Neuroscience
IS - 4
ER -