Unraveling the Link Between Shared Caregiving and Brain Development in Primate Social Evolution Publication by Former Fellow Paola Cerrito
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Read the full paper here:
Cerrito et al: Neurodevelopmental timing and socio-cognitivedevelopment in a prosocial cooperatively breedingprimate (Callithrix jacchus), Science, October 30, 2024.
A paper co-authered by former Early-Career Fellow Paola Cerrito has recently been published in Science Advances. In the article, Paola and her colleagues highlight the parallels between marmosets and humans, who share similar social structures, shedding light on the evolution of human social cognition and the importance of caregiving environments in brain development.
The study explores the relationship between the timing of brain development and social and cognitive milestones in common marmosets, a species of primates that engage in cooperative breeding. The researchers found that brain regions related to social interaction develop more gradually and retain greater flexibility, aligning with the marmosets' interactions with multiple caregivers. This extended development period facilitates advanced social and prosocial behaviors.
Paola's fellowship at the Collegium enabled her to undertake this independent research project and foster key collaborations that were essential to the study. "The interdisciplinary engagement at the Collegium broadened my perspective and helped frame my research in ways that resonated far beyond evolutionary biology and anthropology." she said. In her research, Paola essentially seeks to understand how reproductive physiology and social behavior co-evolved during human evolution and to identify the neuroanatomical structures and neurodevelopmental pathways that provide the foundation for the emergence of language.