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Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Brain Has "Face Place" for Recognition, Monkey Study Confirms


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Shown here in a 3-D computer model, the macaque brain has a region (not indicated in picture) where nerve cells are dedicated to recognizing faces, a new study says.

The finding supports a so-called Swiss Army knife theory of the brain, which says that in monkeys, humans, and other animals the organ is divided into distinct areas dedicated to specific purposes.

Illustration courtesy U.S. National Institute of Mental Health