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The left and right sides of the brain function differently and this has long been considered a prerogative of the human species. This conception has, however, been revealed as completely erroneous in the light of recent neurobiological research, which has shown that in the brains of different animals, such as fish, reptiles, birds and mammals, and also invertebrates, such as bees, worms and flies, asymmetry between the right and left represents a general principle of the nervous system. All of these species have "divided brains", the left and right halves of which can operate independently. Sometimes the two halves collaborate, and sometimes they function alone in competition for control of behaviour. In this book three scholars who are among the top international specialists in the topic discuss the state of knowledge, considering the general characteristics, development and evolution of brain asymmetry from a new and completely original perspective. |
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