Kechen Zhang: Research Highlights
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Brain scaling: Cerebral cortex
Neocortex is a new and rapidly expanding brain structure unique to
mammals. The section diagrams, adapted from a drawing by E. de
Vries, show that the cerebral cortex of a larger brain tends to
have disproportionally more long-distance connection fibers or
white matter (dark regions) than the gray matter (folded outer
surface).
The volumes of cortical gray matter and the adjacent white matter
are closely related by a power law across nearly the full range of
mammalian brain sizes. The data here were compiled from several
sources, including my own measurements. The theory presented in
my paper (available online) shows quantitatively how this remarkable
anatomical relationship might follow as a necessary consequence of
the basic uniformity of the neocortex and the compact wiring of
its interconnection.
Kechen Zhang, 2000