Vervet monkeys and humans show brain asymmetries for processing conspecific vocalizations, but with opposite patterns of laterality
Vervet monkeys and humans show brain asymmetries for processing conspecific vocalizations, but with opposite patterns of laterality
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DOI：
10.1098/rspb.2006.3580
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发表时间：
2006-09-22
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Hauser, Marc D.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gil-da-Costa, Ricardo;Hauser, Marc D.
人类神经科学的一项重大发现是观察到左半球专门处理口语。先前的研究表明，这种听觉特化和大脑不对称源自灵长类祖先。这些研究大部分集中在猕猴属上，并且全部都显示出左半球偏向。然而，由于分类范围狭窄，我们对灵长类动物之间这种不对称的分布缺乏了解。此外，虽然左半球偏差似乎是由同种呼叫介导的，但还存在其他可能性，包括熟悉度、情感相关性和信号的更一般的声学特性。为了扩大分类范围并测试明显半球偏差的特异性，我们对旧世界猴子的不同属黑长尾猴（Cercopithecus aethiops）进行了实验，并实施了相关的声学控制。使用与猕猴测试的相同头部定向程序，结果显示对同种发声（熟悉和不熟悉）有强烈的左耳/右半球偏差，但对其他灵长类动物发声或非生物声音没有不对称性。这些结果表明，虽然处理物种特异性发声的听觉不对称是灵长类大脑的一个共同特征，但这种不对称的方向可能相对可塑。这一发现提出了关于个体发生和进化力量如何影响灵长类动物大脑进化的重大问题。
A robust finding in the human neurosciences is the observation of a left hemisphere specialization for processing spoken language. Previous studies suggest that this auditory specialization and brain asymmetry derive from a primate ancestor. Most of these studies focus on the genus Macaca and all demonstrate a left hemisphere bias. Due to the narrow taxonomic scope, however, we lack a sense of the distribution of this asymmetry among primates. Further, although the left hemisphere bias appears mediated by conspecific calls, other possibilities exist including familiarity, emotional relevance and more general acoustic properties of the signal. To broaden the taxonomic scope and test the specificity of the apparent hemisphere bias, we conducted an experiment on vervets (Cercopithecus aethiops)-a different genus of old world monkeys and implemented the relevant acoustic controls. Using the same head orienting procedure tested with macaques, results show a strong left ear/right hemisphere bias for conspecific vocalizations (both familiar and unfamiliar), but no asymmetry for other primate vocalizations or non-biological sounds. These results suggest that although auditory asymmetries for processing species-specific vocalizations are a common feature of the primate brain, the direction of this asymmetry may be relatively plastic. This finding raises significant questions for how ontogenetic and evolutionary forces have impacted on primate brain evolution.