The cortical and subcortical correlates of face pareidolia in the macaque brain

Face detection is a foundational social skill for primates. This vital function is thought to be supported by specialized neural mechanisms; however, although several face-selective regions have been identified in both humans and nonhuman primates, there is no consensus about which region(s) are inv...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social cognitive and affective neuroscience 2022-11, Vol.17 (11), p.965-976
Main Authors: Taubert, Jessica, Wardle, Susan G, Tardiff, Clarissa T, Koele, Elissa A, Kumar, Susheel, Messinger, Adam, Ungerleider, Leslie G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amygdala (Brain)
Analysis
Animals
Brain Mapping
Face recognition (Psychology)
Humans
Illusions
Macaca mulatta
Macaques
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Neural circuitry
Neurological research
Pattern Recognition, Visual
Social behavior in animals
Temporal Lobe
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Summary:Face detection is a foundational social skill for primates. This vital function is thought to be supported by specialized neural mechanisms; however, although several face-selective regions have been identified in both humans and nonhuman primates, there is no consensus about which region(s) are involved in face detection. Here, we used naturally occurring errors of face detection (i.e. objects with illusory facial features referred to as examples of 'face pareidolia') to identify regions of the macaque brain implicated in face detection. Using whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging to test awake rhesus macaques, we discovered that a subset of face-selective patches in the inferior temporal cortex, on the lower lateral edge of the superior temporal sulcus, and the amygdala respond more to objects with illusory facial features than matched non-face objects. Multivariate analyses of the data revealed differences in the representation of illusory faces across the functionally defined regions of interest. These differences suggest that the cortical and subcortical face-selective regions contribute uniquely to the detection of facial features. We conclude that face detection is supported by a multiplexed system in the primate brain.
ISSN:1749-5016
1749-5024
DOI:10.1093/scan/nsac031