SPP 2205: Bernstein Conference Satellite Workshop “Major Transitions in Cortical Circuit Evolution”, Berlin (Sep 13-14, 2022)
Neuronal circuits of the cerebral cortex underlie our abilities to perceive and recognize objects, form an internal model of dynamic environments, make decisions and plan and execute complex actions. Although these functions and abilities appear universal, the design even of simple sensory cortical circuits, surprisingly, was repeatedly disrupted by major evolutionary transformations. Recent work has uncovered that the ancestral state of primary visual cortex neither exhibited localized receptive fields nor retinotopic order (1) and that mammalian V1 underwent an all-or-nothing transition at the origin of primates (2). Exciting discoveries in the paleontology and paleobiology of the mammalian brain indicate that cortical circuit evolution has been punctuated by coordinated encephalization bursts (3) in distinct lineages, potentially reflecting key innovations in visual processing strategy (4). The challenge of understanding and reconstructing such transitions adds a novel dimension to the quest of decoding the principles of cortical processing and design.
This workshop will bring together leading researchers that pioneered next-generation comparative studies, use predictive and data-driven modelling to identify mode-shifts in visual cortical processing and reconstruct the evolutionary trajectory of cortical evolution. Registration will be open any time by now.
For further information see https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/program/satellite-workshops/major-transitions-in-cortical-circuit-evolution/
This event is organized by members of the German Research Foundation Priority Program “Evolutionary Optimization of Neuronal Processing”.
