Anatomical landmarks, cognition

This lecture focuses on the enlargement of the cortex and of specific areas. Mechanisms will be proposed in subsequent lectures, but here we are concerned with theoretical diagrams and anatomical correspondences between humans and monkeys (macaques) based on physiological tasks. On a theoretical level, it is proposed that an enlargement of the cortical surface may be accompanied by the enlargement of areas or the insertion of new areas with, fundamentally, a reshuffling of connections. On a functional level, MRI imaging enables us to compare the areas that are active in monkeys and humans confronted with an identical ordeal, such as watching a Sergio Leone film. This leads to the establishment of anatomical-functional correspondences and the identification of recruitments or losses of areas and neuronal circuits linked to evolution since the common ancestor of the two species studied.