The morphology of Australian aboriginal brains--documentation of eight cases.

Cortical morphology of the brains of eight Western Australian Aboriginals was documented. Sulcal patterns permitted classification of the brains into separate groups. Characteristic patterns were found for the shape of the prosencephalon and for the insular, parietooccipital, and frontal cortex in the aboriginal group. The length of the frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes and the width of the temporal lobes was measured. Length, width, and height of the Aboriginal prosencephalons were compared to measurements of eleven Caucasian brains. Postmortem changes, genetic differences, and factors influencing brain development were discussed.