ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with an analysis of the characteristics of the human brain and how they developed during the course of phylogenetic evolution – that long evolutionary walk of animal life that brought about the human species. It looks at the three brains that coexist in human nervous system and their principal functions. These are: reptilian brain; primitive mammals; and neocortex. The reptilian brain is the most ancient, and presides over the regulation of human vegetative functions and more primitive actions linked to individual survival and reproduction of the species. In humans the neocortex reaches its maximum development and enormously increases connectivity by building a complex web of informational exchange between various cortical areas. The human brain presents some morphological and functional differences between males and females, although on a much smaller scale compared to other mammals. The chapter also looks at the specific human cognitive capabilities being made possible by the development of the neocortex in human species.
