Alzheimer’s Disease, the Parietal Lobes, and the Evolution of the Human Genus

Abstract

Abstract Brain evolution is a key feature in the natural history of Primates, in particular of the human genus. Paleoneurology deals with the study of the endocranial anatomy, as proxy to investigate brain morphology in extinct species. Considering the fossil evidence, it has been hypothesized that modern humans experienced a recent expansion of the parietal cortex. The precuneus, for example, is much larger in humans than in apes and likely larger in Homo sapiens compared with fossil hominids. The deeper region of the precuneus is characterized by high heat load, complex topological organization, and allometric constraints, and it is interposed between major vascular territories. In this chapter, the authors discuss the evolutionary changes of the parietal cortex in the human genus, the parietal lobe changes in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and how these changes can impact cognition and social aspects, integrating paleoneurological and neurobiological perspectives.