Paleoneurology

Fossil skull and natural skull cast of Taung child ( replica )

Endocranial model of the Java human ( Homo erectus ) brain

The Paläoneurologie is a scientific discipline within paleontology , the imprints of fossil brains examined. For this, skull casts are usually made from the inside of the fossilized skull, the so-called stone core, or computed tomography scans. This makes it possible to obtain information about the structure of the cerebral cortex , the vascular supply to the meninges and the sutures of the individual cranial bones . Sometimes details of the brain surface, such as the cerebral convolutions ( gyri ), are preserved. The aim is to research the evolution of the brain in order to derive relationships between different fossil species .

A silicone cast can be made in the laboratory from a well-preserved skull . Often, however, only fragments of skulls are preserved. If the fossil skull is completely filled with a solid material, the inner surface can only be analyzed using three-dimensional computed tomography. Laser technology and stereolithography are also used. With the help of the data, a copy of the skull can be made from polymer materials .

The German-American paleontologist Tilly Edinger is considered to be the founder of paleoneurology.

term

The term paleoneurology is not entirely correct. The Neurology deals with the central nervous system , ie the brain and spinal cord , its surrounding structures and blutversorgende vessels as well as the peripheral nervous system . In contrast, land animal paleoneurology only deals with the external shape of the fossil brain (the cast of the skull). Since fish do not have a flexible neck, a rather small brain, and especially early fish often had a massive skull, not only the cast of the brain should be studied in these vertebrates, but also that of the cranial nerves and the anterior part of the spinal cord.

literature

• E. Thenius, H. Hofer: Tribal history of mammals: an overview of facts and problems of the evolution of mammals . Springer, 2013, ISBN 978-3-642-88235-7 , pp. 38 ff . ( limited preview in Google Book search).

Individual evidence

1. ^ Harry J. Jerison, Fossil Brain Endocasts , brainmuseum. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
2. ^ Emily A. Buchholz, Ernst-August Seyfarth, The Study of “Fossil Brains”: Tilly Edinger (1897-1967) and the Beginnings of Paleoneurology , BioScience 51 (8): pp. 674-82. doi : 10.1641 / 0006-3568 (2001) 051 [0674: TSOFBT] 2.0.CO; 2 . Retrieved January 14, 2016.
3. ↑ P. Janvier (1996). Early vertebrates. Oxford University Press. abstract