Evolution of Mirror Neuron Mechanism in Primates

Bibliographic Collection: 
CARTA-Inspired Publication
Publication Type: Book Chapter
Authors: Rizzolatti, G; Fogassi, L
Editors: Kaas, JH
Year of Publication: 2017
Book Title: Evolution of Nervous Systems
Edition: 2nd edition
Pagination: 373 - 386
Date Published: 2017
Publisher: Academic Press
City: Oxford
Publication Language: eng
ISBN Number: 978-0-12-804096-6
Keywords: Action understanding, Emotion recognition, Humans, Imitation, Imitation learning, Insula, Intention understanding, language evolution, Mirror mechanism, Nonhuman primates
Abstract:

The mirror mechanism is a basic mechanism that transforms sensory representations of the observed or listened actions into motor representations of the same actions. In the present chapter we review evidence for the role of the mirror mechanism in emotion and in goal-directed actions in nonhuman primates and humans. We examine the functions, such as imitation and language, which are present exclusively or almost exclusively in humans and discuss the role of the mirror mechanism in these functions.

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