COMPMED 208: Primate Brain Evolution: An Introduction to who we are

Course Description

We explore the origins and evolutionary trends that have shaped primate brain structure and function. We focus on primates in the context of other mammalian and vertebrate species, as a way of comparing alternate brain plans and evolutionary pressures/trends. Topics include: The peripheral nervous system, brain evolution and the primate hand, vision, vocalization and language acquisition, the intelligent brain, and hominid evolution. We use current analytical approaches, critique papers, and make cross species comparisons to build a deeper appreciation of vertebrate brain organization more broadly, and the primate brain and nervous system more specifically. There are no prerequisites, but a basic understanding of neurobiology is helpful/preferred.