The prefrontal cortex makes up almost a quarter of the human brain,
and it expanded dramatically during primate evolution. The
Neurobiology of the Prefrontal Cortex presents a new theory about
its fundamental function. In this important new book, the authors
argue that primate-specific parts of the prefrontal cortex evolved
to reduce errors in foraging choices, so that particular ancestors
of modern humans could overcome periodic food shortages. These
developments laid the foundation for working out problems in our
imagination, which resulted in the insights that allow humans to
avoid errors entirely, at least at times. In the book, the authors
detail which parts of the prefrontal cortex evolved exclusively in
primates, how its connections explain why the prefrontal cortex
alone can perform its function, and why other parts of the brain
cannot do what the prefrontal cortex does. Based on an analysis of
its evolutionary history, the book uses evidence from lesion,
imaging, and cell-recording experiments to argue that the primate
prefrontal cortex generates goals from a current behavioural
context and that it can do so on the basis of single events. As a
result, the prefrontal cortex uses the attentive control of
behaviour to augment an older general-purpose learning system, one
that evolved very early in the history of animals. This older
system learns slowly and cumulatively over many experiences based
on reinforcement. The authors argue that a new learning system
evolved in primates at a particular time and place in their
history, that it did so to decrease the errors inherent in the
older learning system, and that severe volatility of food resources
provided the driving force for these developments. Written by two
leading brain scientists, The Neurobiology of the Prefrontal Cortex
is an important contribution to our understanding of the evolution
and functioning of the human brain.
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