also known as von Economo neurons (VENs) from Constantin von Economo’s 1926 discovery. They are fast and large for fast relay of social interconnectedness. They have only been found in a handful of species outside of humans which include, whales, dolphins, elephants and monkeys. They are thought to play a role in intuition and social interactions. They are more developed in species with complex social systems. They have been found in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the fronto-insular cortex (FI) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).
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