Identification of Zhoukoudian Homo erectus brain asymmetry using 3D laser scanning  

作　　者：WU XiuJie PAN Lei 

机构地区：[1]Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates,Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100044,China [2]Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China

出　　处：《Chinese Science Bulletin》2011年第21期2215-2220,共6页

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40972017);the Knowledge Innovative Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-159 and XDA05130100);the International Cooperation Program of MST of China (2009DFB20580)

摘　　要：Endocasts are important materials used for the study of human brain evolution,and allow examination of the external features of brain anatomy from the inside the cranium.Studies examining brain asymmetries in fossil hominids are usually limited to scoring of differences in hemisphere protrusion rostrally and caudally,or to comparing the width of the hemispheres.In the present study,using 3D laser scanning,we examined asymmetries of the hemisphere volumes and surface areas in the Zhoukoudain (ZKD) Homo erectus,dated to 0.4-0.8 Ma.Compared with modern endocasts,we found that the absolute hemisphere volumes and surface areas exhibited no significant asymmetries in the ZKD or in modern specimens.However,the relative hemisphere volumes against surface areas differed between the two groups.When comparing the relative sizes between the left and right hemispheres,the ZKD specimens exhibited a greater variation than in the modern humans;there were no differences in the two hemispheres in the ZKD specimens,while in the modern endocasts the left hemisphere was significantly greater than the right hemisphere.These data suggest that brain asymmetries originated from relative brain sizes rather than absolute brain volumes during human evolution.These anatomical changes are likely related to the origin of human brain lateralization.Endocasts are important materials used for the study of human brain evolution,and allow examination of the external features of brain anatomy from the inside the cranium.Studies examining brain asymmetries in fossil hominids are usually limited to scoring of differences in hemisphere protrusion rostrally and caudally,or to comparing the width of the hemispheres.In the present study,using 3D laser scanning,we examined asymmetries of the hemisphere volumes and surface areas in the Zhoukoudain （ZKD） Homo erectus,dated to 0.4-0.8 Ma.Compared with modern endocasts,we found that the absolute hemisphere volumes and surface areas exhibited no significant asymmetries in the ZKD or in modern specimens.However,the relative hemisphere volumes against surface areas differed between the two groups.When comparing the relative sizes between the left and right hemispheres,the ZKD specimens exhibited a greater variation than in the modern humans;there were no differences in the two hemispheres in the ZKD specimens,while in the modern endocasts the left hemisphere was significantly greater than the right hemisphere.These data suggest that brain asymmetries originated from relative brain sizes rather than absolute brain volumes during human evolution.These anatomical changes are likely related to the origin of human brain lateralization.

关 键 词：三维激光扫描 脑不对称 周口店 人类大脑 不对称性 识别 人脑 南半球 

分 类 号：Q981[天文地球—古生物学与地层学]