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6 The Evolution of Episodic Memory--Timothy A. Allen and Norbert J. Fortin
Pages 95-114

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From page 95... ... We propose that episodic memory capacity depends on a fundamental neural circuit that is simi lar across mammalian and avian species, suggesting that protoepisodic memory systems exist across amniotes and, possibly, all vertebrates. The implication is that episodic memory in diverse species may primarily be due to a shared underlying neural ancestry, rather than the result of evolutionary convergence. Read the entire page →
From page 96... ... Here, our objective is to shed light on the potential evolution of episodic memory. We go beyond previous efforts by integrating the behavioral evidence across species with a comparative analysis of the neurobiology and neural mechanisms underlying episodic memory capacity. Read the entire page →
From page 97... ... provided compelling evidence that core properties of episodic memory are present in nonhumans. This capacity is often termed episodic-like to emphasize that, whereas it does not address the phenomenological aspects associated with episodic memory in humans, it satisfies three key behavioral criteria (Clayton et al., 2003a) Read the entire page →
From page 98... ... "what-where," and (iii) "what-when." The distinct content requirements of these models provide an opportunity to investigate different aspects of episodic memory capacity. Read the entire page →
From page 99... ... . Memory for What-When This approach requires subjects to remember the temporal context in which specific events occurred, a defining feature of episodic memory (Tulving, 1972, 2002) Read the entire page →
From page 100... ... BRAIN STRUCTURES IMPORTANT FOR EPISODIC MEMORY Studies of neurological patients and functional neuroimaging in humans have shown that episodic memory critically depends on the integrity of the hippocampus (Vargha-Khadem et al., 1997; Tulving and Markowitsch, 1998; Eichenbaum and Fortin, 2005) but also involves a large network of cortical areas that includes the adjacent parahippocampal region and the prefrontal cortex (Cabeza and St. Read the entire page →
From page 101... ... The major outputs of the hippocampus originate from CA1 and the subiculum, and terminate in the entorhinal cortex [for a comprehensive account of the hippocampal circuitry, see van Strien et al. Read the entire page →
From page 102... ... sections from http:// zebrafinch.brainarchitecture.org. DG, dentate gyrus; DL, dorsolateral region; DM, dorsomedial region; EC, entorhinal cortex, HC, hippocampus; PER, perirhinal cortex; PHC, parahippocampal cortex; POR, postrhinal cortex; Tr, triangular region; V, V-shaped layer. Read the entire page →
From page 103... ... These associative regions include the entorhinal cortex, perirhinal cortex, and parahippocampal cortex [postrhinal cortex in rodents (Furtak et al., 2007) Read the entire page →
From page 104... ... ; DVR, dorsal ventricular ridge; LEC, lateral entorhinal cortex; MEC, medial entorhinal cortex; PER, perirhinal cortex; PHC, parahippocampal cortex; POR, postrhinal cortex; Sub, subiculum; Tr, triangular region; V, V-shaped layer. ing the dorsal ventricular ridge and hyperpallium. Read the entire page →
From page 105... ... . Birds also have an executive region thought to be similar to the mammalian prefrontal cortex, called the nidopallium caudolaterale (Güntürkün, 2005; Herold et al., 2011) Read the entire page →
From page 106... ... Considering the long evolutionary history and structure–function similarities, it seems reasonable to hypothesize that the human episodic memory circuit shares an ancestral protoepisodic memory system with other mammals and possibly birds. NEURAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING EPISODIC MEMORY Episodic memory in mammals depends on the hippocampus, the parahippocampal region, and the prefrontal cortex. Read the entire page →
From page 107... ... Episodic memory requires the integration of the representation of a single event with its distinctive contextual information, and it is this process that critically depends on the hippocampus [for potential mechanisms, see Buzsáki and Moser (2013) Read the entire page →
From page 108... ... . Section Summary Significant progress has been made in our understanding of the neural circuits underlying episodic memory capacity in mammals. Read the entire page →
From page 109... ... This advantage may be especially beneficial under conditions of limited resources, when incremental gains in the likelihood of success can amount to large effects on long-term survival. As mentioned earlier, our central argument is that fundamental properties of episodic memory, as well as their underlying neural circuits, are shared across mammals and birds. Read the entire page →
From page 110... ... . Interestingly, there is considerable overlap between the neural circuits involved in retrieving episodic memories and those involved in simulating future events, suggesting that the two capacities are intrinsically linked (Addis et al., 2007; Hassabis et al., 2007; Szpunar et al., 2007) Read the entire page →
From page 111... ... Species-Specific Uses of Episodic Memory Although we have so far emphasized the commonalities in episodic memory capacity, there are also clear differences across species. These divergences include unique uses of episodic memory, as well as speciesspecific attributes. Read the entire page →
From page 112... ... . Using this conceptual framework, we showed that episodic memory in mammals depends on a functional relationship between the hippocampus, parahippocampal region, neocortical association areas, and prefrontal cortex. Read the entire page →
From page 113... ... Thus, the change to supporting episodic memory likely occurred when the hippocampus began receiving highly processed event and contextual information from higher association areas. In light of the cross-species behavioral and neurobiological similarities reviewed here, it is tempting to conclude that episodic memory capacity emerged before mammals and reptiles diverged (possibility 1 in Fig. Read the entire page →
From page 114... ... 114 / Timothy A Allen and Norbert J Read the entire page →

From page 95...

... We propose that episodic memory capacity depends on a fundamental neural circuit that is simi lar across mammalian and avian species, suggesting that protoepisodic memory systems exist across amniotes and, possibly, all vertebrates. The implication is that episodic memory in diverse species may primarily be due to a shared underlying neural ancestry, rather than the result of evolutionary convergence.

6 The Evolution of Episodic Memory--Timothy A. Allen and Norbert J. Fortin Pages 95-114

6 The Evolution of Episodic Memory--Timothy A. Allen and Norbert J. Fortin
Pages 95-114