Cortex
Volume 46, Issue 7 , Pages 821-830, July 2010

The cerebellum and its contribution to complex tasks in higher primates: A comparative perspective

  • Claudio Cantalupo

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychology, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
    • Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Psychology, 418 Brackett Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
    • ,
  • William Hopkins

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychology, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA, USA
    • Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA

Received 11 November 2008; received in revised form 23 April 2009 and 13 May 2009; accepted 9 June 2009. published online 19 November 2009.

Abstract 

Many aspects of the involvement of the cerebellum in motor control and cognition are still quite unclear or relatively unexplored. In particular, very little is known about the evolution of cerebellar contribution to complex behavior in higher primate species. In this paper, we provide an overview of existing and ongoing comparative studies of the role of the cerebellum in primate behavior. In particular, we discuss evidence that great apes show greater cerebellar relative size than monkeys and that such interspecific difference is mainly explained by growth of the lateral neocerebellum in evolution with converse changes in the vermis. Furthermore, we present evidence that volumetric differences as well as lateral asymmetry of the cerebellum are related to both performance and hand preference for skilled tasks like tool use and aimed throwing. Finally we suggest future directions for this comparative research area that may offer further valuable clues into the involvement of the cerebellum in complex behavior and its evolutionary origin in primate species.

Keywords: Cerebellum, Chimpanzees, Tool use, Language, Handedness

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PII: S0010-9452(09)00279-2

doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2009.10.004

Cortex
Volume 46, Issue 7 , Pages 821-830, July 2010

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