Mirror neurons were first reported in the premotor cortex of macaque monkeys. These neurons fire, both when a monkey performs a specific action, but also when the monkey simply watches another monkey carries out the same action. This was the first description of a neural mechanism that allowed a direct matching between the visual description of an action and its execution. There is now evidence, from functional imaging studies, to suggest that mirror neurons not only exist in man but are present in several locations, including the inferior parietal lobule (IPL). The inferior parietal lobule (IPL), even more so than the rest of the cortex, underwent an accelerated enlargement in the phylogenetic line leading to the great apes and hominids- splitting into the supramarginal and angular.
A journal is a periodical publication intended to further progress of science, usually by reporting new research. Most journals are highly specialized, although some of the oldest journals publish articles, reviews, editorials, short communications, letters, and scientific papers across a wide range of scientific fields. Journals contain articles that peer reviewed, in an attempt to ensure that articles meet the journal's standards of quality, and scientific validity. Each such journal article becomes part of the permanent scientific record.
Last date updated on April, 2024