Brain Study Reveals Where Aesthetic Judgement Resides
One trait believed to differentiate humans from other primates is the ability to appreciate aesthetics. A recent study proved what scientists have suspected, that such judgement stems from an area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex–one of the last cortical regions to expand dramatically over evolution. This part of the brain is generally known to play a role in different kinds of decision making, the researchers note, but their analysis further identified a specific region within the prefrontal cortex that responds when an individual deems something beautiful. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that this area may be “intrinsically related to conscious aesthetic perception” and may offer tantalizing insight into how “a phylogenetic change in the prefrontal cortex could give way to the decorative and artistic profusion” in humans.
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