Brain tissue does not fossilize like teeth and bones do, so it is only possible to observe the internal cavity of the skull’s braincase – called the endocranium – to understand external brain anatomy of extinct species. We start from the premise that “minds are simply what brains do” 1, but understanding minds through fossils has proven to be a tortuous task at the center of a very contentious topic. What, if anything, can fossils tell us about the mind? Paleontologists draw links between anatomical details that are preserved in the fossil record (e.g., the dimensions of a bone) and functions (e.g., locomotion). Biomedical and ecological sciences can benefit from paleoneurology’s approach to understanding the mind as well as its novel research pipelines that establish connections between neuroanatomy, genes and behavior. In the context of these advances, the paleoneurological record provides ample opportunity for future research. Comparative neuroanatomical data are available through online databases, along with tools for their measurement and analysis. Sharing digitized museum collections improves the availability of rare fossils and artifacts. Through cooperation, the scientific community can accelerate knowledge acquisition. Meanwhile, fossil and archeological discoveries continuously contribute new knowledge. Phylogenetic comparative methods integrate data across species and associate genotypes to phenotypes, and brains to behaviors. Inferences about the development and physiology of the brains of extinct species can be experimentally investigated through brain organoids and transgenic models based on ancient DNA. Neuroimaging is shedding light on fossil brain organization and behaviors. Through the application of interdisciplinary techniques to the fossil record, paleoneurology has been leading major innovations. These data, alongside experimental and comparative evidence, are needed to resolve questions about brain energetics, cognitive specializations, and developmental plasticity. Todorov ORCID: /0000-0002-0295-7557 22,Ĭommunications Biology volume 6, Article number: 636 ( 2023)įossil endocasts record features of brains from the past: size, shape, vasculature, and gyrification.
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