Neural correlates of Early Stone Age toolmaking: technology, language and cognition in human evolution.

Full Abstract

Archaeological and palaeontological evidence from the Early Stone Age (ESA) documents parallel trends of brain expansion and technological elaboration in human evolution over a period of more than 2Myr. However, the relationship between these defining trends remains controversial and poorly understood. Here, we present results from a positron emission tomography study of functional brain activation during experimental ESA (Oldowan and Acheulean) toolmaking by expert subjects. Together with a previous study of Oldowan toolmaking by novices, these results document increased demands for effective visuomotor coordination and hierarchical action organization in more advanced toolmaking. This includes an increased activation of ventral premotor and inferior parietal elements of the parietofrontal praxis circuits in both the hemispheres and of the right hemisphere homologue of Broca's area. The observed patterns of activation and of overlap with language circuits suggest that toolmaking and language share a basis in more general human capacities for complex, goal-directed action. The results are consistent with coevolutionary hypotheses linking the emergence of language, toolmaking, population-level functional lateralization and association cortex expansion in human evolution.

Author information

Author/s: Stout, Dietrich (D); Toth, Nicholas (N); Schick, Kathy (K); Chaminade, Thierry (T);

Affiliation: Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PY, UK. dietrich.stout(-atsign-)ucl.ac.uk

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences (Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Jun; vol 363 (issue 1499) : pp 1939-49

Dates: Created 2008/04/30; Completed 2008/08/11; Revised 2009/06/15;

PMID: 18292067, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 6/16/2009, IMS Date: )

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