A study conducted by a group of researchers, including CNRS scientists, focused on the brain anatomy of newborn baby baboons and how it correlated with their later hand communication preferences. The researchers discovered that nearly 70% of the baby baboons showed early asymmetry in the planum temporale area of the brain, with the left hemisphere being larger than the right. As these baboons grew up, they tended to develop a right-hand preference for gestural communication, regardless of their handedness for other actions. In contrast, the remaining 30% of baboons, who did not show the same brain asymmetry at birth, had an equal likelihood of communicating with their left or right hand later in life. This suggests that PT asymmetry plays a role in the development of gestural communication in monkeys, similar to its role in language development in humans, indicating a shared evolutionary heritage between the two species.
The researchers based their findings on behavioral observations of a group of young baboons, focusing on the hand they used to make common gestures in their communication repertoire. The study highlights the connection between gesture and language in primate evolution, showcasing the cerebral prewiring for communication in baboons. These findings have potential clinical implications for brain surgery patients, as measuring simple communicative gestures could help determine the dominant hemisphere for language and reduce the risk of post-operative aphasia. The study was conducted by researchers from Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, and the Station de primatologie. The research article, titled “Early Left-Planum Temporale Asymmetry in Newborn Monkeys (Papio anubis): A Longitudinal Structural MRI Study at Two Stages of Development,” was published in Neuroimage on December 4, 2020.
The discovery of early brain asymmetry in baby baboons sheds light on the evolutionary origins of language and communication in primates. By studying the brain anatomy of newborns and tracking their hand communication preferences as they grow, researchers found a correlation between PT asymmetry and gestural communication. This suggests that the development of language and communication skills may be rooted in an evolutionary heritage shared by humans and monkeys, dating back to a common ancestor 25 million years ago. The study provides insights into the links between gesture and language in primate evolution and demonstrates how cerebral prewiring influences communication behaviors in baboons.
The use of MRI imaging in studying the brain anatomy of baby baboons allowed researchers to make these groundbreaking discoveries in primate neuroscience. MRI is a noninvasive observation technique that provides valuable insights into the neural structures and functions of animals, including humans and monkeys. By identifying early asymmetry in the PT area of the brain in newborn baboons, researchers were able to predict their hand communication preferences as they grew up. This longitudinal study provides important information about the development of communication skills in baboons and highlights the similarities between primate brains in terms of language and gesture processing.
Overall, the research on brain anatomy and communication preferences in baby baboons offers valuable insights into the evolution of language and communication in primates. By linking early brain asymmetry to gestural communication preferences in baboons, researchers have uncovered a shared evolutionary heritage between humans and monkeys. These findings have implications for understanding the origins of language and communication in primates and may have practical applications in clinical settings. The study highlights the importance of studying brain anatomy and behavior in non-human primates to gain a better understanding of the cognitive and communicative abilities of different species.
