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The Fractal Geometry of the Human Brain: An Evolutionary Perspective

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The Fractal Geometry of the Brain

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Computational Neuroscience ((NEUROSCI))

Abstract

The evolution of the brain in mammals is characterized by changes in size, architecture, and internal organization. Consequently, the geometry of the brain, and especially the size and shape of the cerebral cortex, has changed notably during evolution. Comparative studies of the cerebral cortex suggest that there are general architectural principles governing its growth and evolutionary development. In this chapter some of the design principles and operational modes that underlie the fractal geometry and information processing capacity of the cerebral cortex in primates, including humans, will be explored. It is shown that the development of the cortex coordinates folding with connectivity in a way that produces smaller and faster brains.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, Amsterdam, 1105 BA, The Netherlands

    Michel A. Hofman PhD

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  1. Michel A. Hofman PhD
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Correspondence to Michel A. Hofman PhD .

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  1. Department of Surgery Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Antonio Di Ieva

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Hofman, M.A. (2016). The Fractal Geometry of the Human Brain: An Evolutionary Perspective. In: Di Ieva, A. (eds) The Fractal Geometry of the Brain. Springer Series in Computational Neuroscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3995-4_11

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