In both chimpanzees and humans, portions of the brain that
are critical for complex cognitive functions, including
decision-making, self-awareness and creativity, are immature at birth.
But there are important differences, too. Baby chimpanzees don't show
the same dramatic increase in the volume of prefrontal white matter in
the brain that human infants do.
"One of the most marked evolutionary changes underlying
human-specific cognitive traits is a greatly enlarged prefrontal
cortex," said Tetsuro Matsuzawa of Kyoto University in Japan. "It is
also one of the latest-developing brain regions of the cerebrum."
That built-in developmental delay, now shown to be shared with
chimps, may provide an extended period of plasticity, allowing both
humans and our closest evolutionary cousins to develop complex social
interactions, knowledge and skills that are shaped by life experiences,
the researchers say.
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