Archipallium

/ˌɑːrkɪˈpæliəm/ noun

Definition

The most primitive or oldest part of the cerebral cortex; the ancestral brain tissue from which modern cortex evolved.

Etymology

From Greek 'archi-' (primitive, original) + Latin 'pallium' (mantle, cloak—used metaphorically for the brain's outer layer). Describes the evolutionarily ancient cortical layer.

Kelly Says

Your brain is like an archaeological dig—the archipallium is the oldest 'layer,' and as you go forward evolutionarily to humans, you add newer cortical layers on top, which is why we're smarter than our ancestors!

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