Chet Sherwood
Title — Associate Professor of Anthropology
Advisor, Hominid Paleobiology graduate program
Office — 2114 G St., 208
Lab: Ross Hall 124
Phone — Office: (202) 994-6346
Lab: (202) 994-5923
E-mail — sherwood@email.gwu.edu
Areas of Expertise —
Biological Anthropology
Evolution of the primate brain; biological bases of human cognitive abilities; primatology.
Current Research
Dr. Sherwood's comparative neuroanatomical research focuses on brain evolution in humans and other mammals. Previous studies have examined allometric scaling at macro- and microanatomical levels, brain asymmetry and behavioral lateralization, evolutionary changes in human language area homologues, neurochemical substrates of cognitive differences among primate species, and evolutionary specializations of neocortical development in great apes and humans.
Ongoing Projects
- Investigations of histological differences in neocortical organization of primate species, including great apes and humans.
- Examination of the correlation between behavioral lateralization, gross anatomical asymmetries, and histological asymmetries in chimpanzees and capuchin monkeys.
- Exploration of the phenotypic and genotypic changes that accompany the evolution of encephalization across different mammalian groups.
- Studies of neocortical development in humans and great apes.
Click here to read more about Dr. Sherwood's research.
Education
To see Dr. Sherwood's complete CV, click here.
Ph.D. 2003, Columbia University
M.A. 1998, Columbia University
M.A. 1996, New York University
B.A. 1995, Columbia University
Background
Dr. Sherwood is a biological anthropologist interested in brain evolution and its behavioral correlates in primates and other mammals. He is faculty in the Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology and the GW Institute for Neuroscience.
Publications
Selected Articles and Book Chapters
2012 Sherwood, C.C., A. Bauernfeind, S. Bianchi, M.A. Raghanti, and P.R. Hof. "Human brain evolution writ large and small," Progress in Brain Research 195: 237-254.
2009 Sherwood, C.C., C.D. Stimpson, C. Butti, C.J. Bonar, A.L. Newton, J.M. Allman, and P.R. Hoff. "Neocortical neuron types in Xenarthra and Afrotheria: Implications for brain evolution in mammals," Brain Structure and Function 213: 301-328.
2008 Raghanti, M.A., C.D. Stimpson, J.L. Marcinkiewicz, J.M. Erwin, P.R. Hof, and C.C. Sherwood. "Differences in cortical serotonergic innervation among humans, chimpanzees, and macaque monkeys: A comparative study," Cerebral Cortex 18: 584-597.
2008 Sherwood, C.C., Subiaul, F., and T.W. Zawidski. "A natural history of the human mind: Tracing evolutionary changes in brain and cognition," Journal of Anatomy 212(4): 426-454.
2007 Sherwood, C.C., E. Wahl, J.M. Erwin, P.R. Hof, and W.D. Hopkins. "Histological asymmetries of primary motor cortex predict handedness in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)," The Journal of Comparative Neurology 503: 525-537.
2007 Sherwood, C.C., and P.R. Hof. "The evolution of neuron types and cortical histology in apes and humans. In: The Evolution of Primate Nervous Systems. In T.M. Preuss and J.H. Kaas, eds., Evolution of Nervous Systems, vol. 4. Oxford: Academic Press, pp. 355-378.
2006 Sherwood, C.C., C.D. Stimpson, M.A. Raghanti, D.E. Wildman, M. Uddin, L.I. Grossman, M. Goodman, J.C. Redmond, C.J. Bonar, J.M. Erwin, and P.R. Hof. "Evolution of increased glia-neuron ratios in the human frontal cortex," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 103: 13606-13611.
Classes Taught
Anth 0721 (old 721): Mind, Brain, and Evolution
Anth 1001 (001): Biological Anthropology
Anth 3413 (144): Evolution of the Human Brain
Anth 6101 (201): Proseminar in Biological Anthropology
Anth 6491 (249): Topics: Evolution of the Human Brain
Homp 8301 (301): Problem-Based Learning Seminar