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Article 2361 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: geb@speedy.cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Scaled up slug brains
Message-ID: <12804@pitt.UUCP>
Date: 22 Dec 91 14:54:34 GMT
References: <45102@mimsy.umd.edu> <12788@pitt.UUCP> <45210@mimsy.umd.edu>
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Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Organization: Computer Science Dept., University of Pittsburgh
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In article <45210@mimsy.umd.edu> harwood@umiacs.umd.edu (David Harwood) writes:

>issue of handedness in monkeys, for example. I have not heard of
>lateralization related to spatial function in animals, such as you
>describe, related to territoriality. You see a big difference, though,
>don't you? There is very direct psychological and neurological evidence
>for laterization of function in humans, in many respects. You have not
>(so far) made evidently clear what kind of function is supposed to
>be involved, or what you mean by "lateralization." Also, in my other

Actually, I don't see a big difference.  Lateralization is just another
form of brain specialization that occurs in other areas.  There is plenty
of neurological and psychological evidence that it occurs in other
species.  There is also a lot of evidence that the strength of the
lateralization is dependent on fetal androgens both in animals and in
humans.  In animals, spatial cognitive functions are the lateralized
ones.  In humans, both spatial and language.  

I am a human neurologist and know very little about birds.  I know
these things about mammals because they bear on human brain function.
The further away you get from humans the more different the brains
are, obviously.  In your own field, you are undoubtedly aware that
bird vision is primarily tectal.

>of brain functions" (as you quote me). I am still not aware that other
>species show such pronounced lateralization of function as do humans
>ordinarily. (This is not to say that humans cannot use or repair to
>use both hemispheres, to some degree, with difficulties sometimes.)

Actually, the right hemisphere is capable of taking over language functions
in some people.  In women and left-handed people, this is much more
likely.  After a stroke which damages Broca or Wernicke's areas, 
some patients will have recovery of language function.  A second
stroke damaging the corresponding areas in the right hemisphere
will wipe out language permanently.



--
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Gordon Banks  N3JXP        | "When in danger, or in doubt
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu     |  Run in circles, scream and shout" --Heinlein
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