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from the dept. An endocast of a skull belonging to the species Australopithecus africanus suggests that the brains of our hominid ancestors may have started evolving away from ape-like characteristics much earlier than previously thought. Known as Stw 505, the specimen had a particular feature -- called the lunate sulcus -- located in the same area as humans. This arching depression marks the boundary of the visual striate cortex (PVC), a brain region which is larger in apes and positioned further forward.
Before the discovery, researchers believed that the PVC had only decreased in size and moved back once hominids acquired bigger brains, about 2.4 million years ago. But Australopithecines, with their chimpanzee sized brains, existed prior to then. [Read Article] < | >
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Brain Structure May Have Evolved Earlier Than Assumed
