Doctoral Dissertation Research: Social perception and body awareness in large-brained mammals

这项研究描述了大脑中整合社会认知和身体深层意识的区域进化出的特征。从“直觉感受”的经验到社会感知的上下文细微差别，这些特征都与增强和扩大人类社会与身体的联系有关。我们解剖学的不同方面，在哺乳动物中是古老的，协调和整合它们的活动，以有利于生存和社会结果。人类和类人猿在细胞水平上也表现出一些解剖学特征，这些特征被称为von Economo神经元（VENs），与鲸鱼和大象等一些远亲哺乳动物相同。本博士论文研究项目考察了在哺乳动物群体中，VENs是否因类似的功能原因而进化。这项研究的结果扩大了我们对社会-身体联系在我们自己物种社会行为进化中的重要性的理解。本研究为有抱负的本科生研究人员提供学习比较解剖学实验室技术的机会，研究者通过科学交流活动和发布比较神经解剖学技术的数字视频教程进行外联。该研究利用免疫组织化学和RNAScope比较了在前扣带皮层（ACC）和前岛皮层（AI）中发现的选择性VENs的蛋白质/基因表达，并假设其可提高社交-内脏通路中的信号传导速度。该项目比较了灵长类动物、鲸鱼和大象中与社会和内脏调节相关的蛋白质表达，以及这些途径招募VENs的程度。这项研究也超越了皮质区域，比较分析了这些区域和内脏之间的一个关键节点——孤立束核（NTS）——它在很大程度上参与了社会内脏过程的调节，尤其是饱腹感和动机。该研究特别关注社会神经激素，包括催产素和抗利尿激素，在这个网络中。神经递质支配的差异可能对社会和资源共享行为有影响。这些发现对进化研究和临床导向研究具有启示意义，塑造了我们对社会大脑的理解，并解决了围绕我们如何定义趋同神经形态的争论。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This study characterizes traits that have evolved in brain regions that integrate social cognition with deep awareness of the body. From the experience of ‘gut feelings’ to the contextual nuances of social perception, these features are implicated in enhancing and expanding the human social-body connection. Different aspects of our anatomy, ancient in mammals, coordinate and integrate their activity to work toward benefitting survival and social outcomes. Humans and great apes also show some anatomical features at the cellular level, called von Economo neurons (VENs), shared with some distantly related mammals such as whales and elephants. This doctoral dissertation research project examines whether VENs evolved for similar functional reasons across mammal groups. The results of this research expand our understanding of the importance of social-body connection in the evolution of our own species’ social behavior. This study provides opportunities for aspiring undergraduate researchers to learn comparative anatomy lab techniques, and the investigators conduct outreach through science communication activities and publishing digital video tutorials for comparative neuroanatomy techniques.The study utilizes immunohistochemistry and RNAScope to compare protein/gene expression selective to VENs, found in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and anterior insular cortex (AI) and hypothesized to enhance signaling speed within social-visceral pathways. The project compares the expression of proteins associated with social and visceral regulation, and the degree to which these pathways recruit VENs, across primates, whales, and elephants. This study also extends beyond cortical regions to comparatively profile a critical node between these regions and the viscera--the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS)—which is heavily involved in mediating social-visceral processes, particularly satiety and motivation. In particular, the study focuses on social neurohormones, including oxytocin and vasopressin, across this network. Differences in neurotransmitter innervation may have implications for social and resource-sharing behavior. The findings have implications for evolutionary studies and clinically oriented research, shaping our understanding of the social brain and addressing debates surrounding how we define convergent neural morphologies.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.