Chemoarchitectonic Indicators of Functional Asymmetries in Human Brain Language Area Homologs.

这种新方法将表征灵长类动物中人类大脑语言区同源物的进化基础。目前流行的范式是基于这样一个前提，即大脑皮层的左半球偏侧区域是人类独有的，在非人类灵长类动物的交流中没有功能活跃。这一支配原则在很大程度上是基于人类认知和交流的独特性这一严格概念。然而，令人信服的解剖学和脑化学证据支持了另一种假设：这些侧化的区域，至少在类人猿灵长类动物中，表现出长期存在的功能身份。这一新颖前提的有效性将通过使用尖端免疫细胞化学和立体学技术对选定的调节化学系统中的半球不对称进行严格的定量分析来检验。我们提出，在这些神经化学系统中表现出的半球间不对称，将作为灵长类动物大脑语言区域中与侧化通信相关功能的有力指标。尽管像旧大陆猴这样的非人类灵长类动物共享人类大脑语言区域的一些解剖学成分，但尚不清楚它们的功能水平和这些特征的进化史延伸了多远。这些令人信服的问题将在神经生物学和人类学的多学科框架内进行考虑，并结合人类、类人猿和旧大陆猴的联合功能成像和分子生物学项目。发展一种深刻的非人类灵长类动物的意志交流/语言模型是一个关键的长期目标。

This new approach will characterize the evolutionary substrate of human brain language area homologues in primates. The prevailing current paradigm is based on the premise that these left-hemisphere-lateralized areas of the cerebral cortex are unique to humans and are not functionally active in non-human primate communication. This governing principle is based largely on a strict concept of the singular nature of human cognition and communication. However, compelling anatomic and brain-chemistry-based evidence has supported an alternate hypothesis: that these lateralized regions, in at least anthropoid primates, manifest a long-lived functional identity. The validity of this novel premise will be tested by rigorous quantitative analysis of hemispheric asymmetries in selected modulatory chemical systems via use of cutting-edge immunocytochemistry and stereology techniques. It is proposed that interhemispheric asymmetries, demonstrated within these neurochemical systems, will serve as powerful indicators of lateralized communication-related functions in primate brain language areas. Although non-human primates such as Old World monkeys share some anatomic components of human brain language areas it is unclear to what functional level and how far the evolutionary history of these features extends. These compelling questions are to be considered within a multidisciplinary framework of neurobiology and anthropology with integration of conjoint functional imaging and molecular biology projects in humans, great apes and Old World monkeys. Development of a profound non-human primate model of volitional communication/language is a key long-term goal.