Evolved changes to neural systems for reactive aggression in humans and other primates

人类和其他灵长类动物反应性攻击的神经系统的进化变化

• 批准号: 2234308
• 负责人: Erin Hecht
• 金额: $ 34.26万
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-07-01 至 2026-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2234308&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Evolved; changes; neural; systems; reactive

Various types of aggression are a part of how species function adaptively in their social environments. At the same time, aggression can pose a threat to societal well-being. This project uses brain imaging datasets and associated behavioral data for multiple species to examine the neurobiology of reactive aggression and investigate whether reactive aggression has been selected against in humans. Understanding how aggression may differ in humans as compared to other animals is fundamental to understanding the nature of our own species and how we fit into the animal kingdom more broadly. The project supports student training and mentoring in STEM and creates publicly available teaching materials for an undergraduate seminar course focused on improving the ability to critically evaluate scientific theories and recognize societal impacts of understanding of scientific concepts. The project tests predictions that follow from current prominent theories on the role of aggression in the evolution of humans and our closest ape relatives using unique multispecies neuroimaging datasets to examine neural circuitry supporting variation in aggressive behavior both within and across species. The investigators use existing MRI and DTI scans from chimpanzees combined with behavioral measurements in the same animals. In humans, they collect a highly validated measure of reactive and proactive aggression as well as neuroimaging data directly comparable to the chimpanzee dataset. Within each species, they examine links between aggression and (a) gray matter morphology, (b) white matter microstructure, and (c) white matter connectivity. Direct comparisons between chimpanzee, bonobo, and human brains are used to assess whether bonobos and/or humans show evolved change in neural circuits linked to individual variation in reactive aggression. Additionally, comparisons with patterns of brain organization observed in tame foxes provide a second, independent mechanism to address whether human and bonobo brains have undergone selection for reduced reactive aggression.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

各种类型的攻击性是物种在其社会环境中如何适应的一部分。与此同时，攻击性可能会对社会福祉构成威胁。该项目使用多个物种的脑成像数据集和相关行为数据来检查反应性攻击的神经生物学，并调查是否在人类中选择了反应性攻击。了解人类的攻击性与其他动物相比有何不同，对于理解我们自己物种的性质以及我们如何更广泛地适应动物王国是至关重要的。该项目支持STEM的学生培训和辅导，并为一门本科研讨会课程编写了公开可用的教材，重点是提高批判性评估科学理论和认识到理解科学概念的社会影响的能力。该项目使用独特的多物种神经成像数据集，测试了当前关于攻击性在人类和我们最近的类人猿近亲进化中的作用的突出理论的预测，以检查支持物种内和物种间攻击行为差异的神经回路。研究人员使用现有的来自黑猩猩的MRI和DTI扫描，并结合对相同动物的行为测量。在人类中，他们收集了一种高度有效的反应性和主动性攻击性测量方法，以及直接与黑猩猩数据集相比较的神经成像数据。在每个物种中，他们检查攻击性与(A)灰质形态、(B)白质微结构和(C)白质连通性之间的联系。黑猩猩、矮黑猩猩和人脑之间的直接比较被用来评估矮黑猩猩和/或人类是否表现出与反应性攻击的个体差异有关的神经回路的进化变化。此外，与在温顺狐狸身上观察到的大脑组织模式的比较提供了第二个独立的机制，以解决人类和矮黑猩猩的大脑是否经历了减少反应性攻击的选择。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。