Evolution of prefrontal cortex.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing evolutionary and comparative neuroanatomy without original human data.
PubMed 34363014 · doi:10.1038/s41386-021-01076-5
What was done
Narrative review synthesizing comparative anatomical and evolutionary evidence on the origin and expansion of mammalian and primate prefrontal cortex subdivisions.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data or quantitative metrics. Qualitatively, agranular prefrontal cortex regions (orbital and medial frontal areas 24, 32, 25) are shared across mammals by common inheritance, whereas granular isocortical prefrontal cortex evolved in the primate lineage along a posterior-to-anterior trajectory. Human brain evolution involved granular prefrontal cortex expansion, remodeled corticocortical connectivity, and altered gene expression rather than the addition of a large number of novel prefrontal areas.
Why it matters
Clarifies the evolutionary homologies of the prefrontal cortex, defining where rodent models translate well (shared agranular limbic networks) and where primate-specific granular cortex must be accounted for.
Limits
Narrative review without systematic search criteria or quantitative synthesis. Abstract provides no statistical comparisons or sample sizes, and evolutionary reconstructions rely on comparative anatomy of extant proxy species.
Cited by
- supports Humans evolved an expanded prefrontal cortex relative to other primates, facilitating higher-order thinking, planning, reflection, and strategic planning.