Brain Function and Evolution


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A view of brain behavior based on brain structure implies an evolutionary view of human cognition.

Title Memo

If brain behavior is based on (or, at least, constrained by) structure, the question of where brain structure comes from arises. The answer to that questions is that brain structure has evolved. Principles of evolution thus apply to understanding the capabilities of the modern human brain.

Note Text: 1661 Archaic and modern emotions

[evolutionary re-use of archaic feelings applied to modern emotions]

Damasio, Antonio R., "Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain", Penguin Books, 1994, 150-155

Note Text: 1838 Basic emotional functions shared

The species differences in those higher functions are bound to be more striking than the differences in the nature of the basic emotional systems that will be the focus of discussion here.

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 4

Note Text: 2020 Basic emotions are genetically ordained

The basic emotions appear to arise from executive circuits of the brain that simultaneously synchronize a large number of mental and bodily functions in response to major life-challenging situations. Although many emotional nuances can be "socially constructed" by the human mind, usually designed by the textures of spec....

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 122-3

Note Text: 1840 Basic emotions as evolved skills

...for a long time, 20th century psychology insisted that we should seek to explain everything in human and animal behavior via environmental events that assail organisms in their real-life interactions with the world rather than via the evolutionary skills that are constructed in their brains as genetic birthrights.

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 4-5

Note Text: 1923 Basic skills needed by primitive mammals

...through evolutionary modification and coordination of preexisting capabilities, executive systems emerged that were capable of providing an animal with greater behavioral coherence and flexibility in a variety of primal situations: (1) the search for food, water, and warmth; (2) the search for sex and companionship;....

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 50

Note Text: 1836 Human brains differ from animals

The human brain can generate many thoughts, ideas, and complex feelings that other animals are not capable of generating.

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 4

Note Text: 1837 Higher cortical abilities distinguish humans

Among living species, there is certainly more evolutionary divergence in higher cortical abilities than in subcortical ones.

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 4

Note Text: 1844 Conservation of emotional systems

[Affective neuroscience] is based largely on the existence of many psychoneural homologies—the fact that the intrinsic nature of basic emotional systems has been remarkably well conserved during the course of mammalian evolution.

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 9

Note Text: 1846 Use of animal models best way to understanding

Our most realistic hope to adequately understand the sources of our own basic emotions is through the deployment of animal models that allow us to study the underlying neural intricacies in reasonable detail.

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 10

Note Text: 1848 The field of evolutionary psychology

evolutionary psychology. This view readily accepts that many complex adaptive strategies have been built into the human brain and that many of them may serve functions that are not readily apparent to our conscious mind.

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 11

Note Text: 1858 Evolution largely preserved basic emotions

As a simplifying maneuver, I will assume that re- cent evolutionary diversification has more vigorously elaborated surface details of behavior and cognitive abilities than it has altered the deep functional archi- tecture of the ancient brain systems that help make us the emotional creatures that we are. Thus, fear is....

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 15

Note Text: 2056 Evolution eliminated choice in homeostasis

When breathing [a basic and imperative need] proceeds normally, the controls remain totally at a subconscious level. Obviously, evolution has automated and eliminated choice in the most important aspects of homeostasis. [As pain?]

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 165

Note Text: 2003 Evolution of catecholamine system?

As summarized schematically in Figure 6.6, a functional theme seems evident in the evolutionary progression of this system, reflecting, once again, the tendency of natural selection to adapt, or more precisely exapt, preexisting parts to new functions. Since one of the major peripheral functions of epinephrine is to con....

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 110

Note Text: 1957 Relation between limbic and cortex

...as simple emotional responses were no longer adaptive in the competition for resources, the cortex assumed a critical role in evaluating and generating new behavioral plans to help sustain emotionaLand motivational stability, or homeostasis. Unfortunately. we really cannot analyze the historical paths of brain "evolu....

Panksepp, Jaak, "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions", Oxford University Press, 1998, 72

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