Temporal cortex is a primate specialization that shows considerable variation in size, morphology, and connectivity across species. Human temporal cortex is involved in many behaviors that are considered especially well developed in humans, including semantic processing, language, and theory of mind. Here, we ask whether the involvement of temporal cortex in these behaviors can be explained in the context of the ‘general’ primate organization of the temporal lobe or whether the human temporal lobe contains unique specializations indicative of a ‘step change’ in the lineage leading to modern humans. We propose that many human behaviors can be explained as elaborations of temporal cortex functions observed in other primates. However, changes in temporal lobe white matter suggest increased integration of information within temporal cortex and between posterior temporal cortex and other association areas, which likely enable behaviors not possible in other species.

颞叶皮层是灵长类动物的一种特化，在不同物种的大小、形态和连通性上表现出相当大的差异。人类颞叶皮层涉及许多被认为在人类中特别发达的行为，包括语义处理、语言和心智理论。在这里，我们询问是否可以在颞叶的“一般”灵长类动物组织的背景下解释颞叶皮层参与这些行为，或者人类颞叶是否包含表明血统领先的“阶跃变化”的独特特化对现代人类。我们提出，许多人类行为可以解释为对其他灵长类动物观察到的颞叶皮层功能的阐述。然而，