He recognized that the brain
endocast from Taung had the peculiar qualities of some creature that had erect posture and must have walked on two legs.
Nonetheless, for many years, Broca's area was highlighted in any discussion of the evolution of language, because a well-defined, enlarged (and hence modern-like) Broca's area can be relatively securely identified on the surface of a fossil brain
endocast (see discussion below).
Falk compared a cast of the cranium's inner surface, or
endocast, obtained from the partial hobbit skeleton LB1 with
endocasts from modern humans and from other fossil skulls in the human evolutionary, or hominid, family.
Scientists used computer tomography (CT) scans of the creature's skull to create a three dimensional virtual model of the surface of its brain, called an
endocast.
Following partial decomposition and erosion, fragments of the rind and seeds were left attached to a soft
endocast of mud.
Falk compared a cast of the cranium's inner surface, or
endocast, obtained from the partial hobbit skeleton LB1 to
endocasts from both modern humans and from other fossil skulls in the human evolutionary family, called hominids for short.
The lump was thus apparently an
endocast. On the outside surface of the largest rind fragments, circular areas of erosion were evident.
For instance, a cast of the cranium's inner surface -- known as an
endocast -- taken from the brain case of a 2-million-year-old H.
A number of Norell's current and former students and postdoctoral researchers are using this technique to compare the
endocasts of extinct dinosaurs to the brains of modern birds in order to explore the evolution of the so-called "bird brain." Contrary to the cliche, the term describes a relatively large brain that provides the superior visual and motor coordination required to fly.
[156] examined the
endocasts of Australopithecus africanus and three species of Paranthropus.
New York, Aug.9 (ANI): A research team led by anthropologist Ralph Holloway at Columbia University has compared brain scans and internal casts, or
endocasts of skulls from children affected with dwarfism with unaffected children, and found hobbits to be stunted humans.