The evolution of the parietal lobes in the genus Homo: the fossil evidence

Abstract

The parietal bones and lobes have undergone profound morphological changes in the evolution of the human genus. Some of these changes are associated with cranial constraints and architecture, and others with brain evolution. Paleoneurology deals with the anatomical study of the endocranial cavity in extinct species, and it is therefore rooted in the structural relationship between brain and braincase. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the main principles of human paleoneurology and functional craniology with a main focus on the parietal region and then describes the evolutionary changes observed in the parietal bones, lobes, and vessels, associated with the different species of the genus Homo. This information is discussed taking into account current evidence from anthropology and evolutionary neuroanatomy.