Evolution of Nervous Systems

Kaas's major research interests are in the evolution and functional organization of sensory-perceptual, cognitive, and motor systems, especially in primates, in the development of these systems, and in how these systems are plastic in response to injury and use in developing and adult brains. Special research emphasis is placed on studying visual, auditory and somatosensory systems, but current studies are also concerned with multimodal and sensorimotor integration in parietal and frontal cortex. Research questions are addressed with a range of electrophysiological, neuroanatomical, biochemical, and behavioral techniques. Teaching interests are in neuroscience, biological psychology, and animal behavior.Current Research:•Single and multielectrode recordings of neurons in primary somatosensory cortex of monkeys.•Optical imaging of functional subdivisions of visual cortex in monkeys.•Studies of anatomical connections of neural networks in brain systems devoted to somatosensory, visual, auditory, motor, and gustatory functions in monkeys.•Studies of brain architecture. Interested in comparative neuroanatomy, cellular composition of brains, brain morphology, brain evolution, metabolic cost of body and brain, sleep requirement across species, feeding time, and really interested in how all of these are tied together. Writes about neuroscience and science in general for the public; recently published The Human Advantage: A New Understanding of How Our Brain Became Remarkable (MIT Press, 2016).

• Volume 1: The Evolution of Non-mammalian Nervous SystemsVolume 2: The Evolution of Nervous Systems of MammalsVolume 3: The Evolution of Nervous Systems of Non-human PrimatesVolume 4: The Evolution of Nervous Systems of Humans and Other Hominoids