A Fossil Brains. The fossil record of the brain is from casts (“endocasts”) that are molded by the cranial cavity of fossil skulls. Natural endocasts are made by the replacement of soft tissue in the skull by sand and other debris that eventually fossilizes.

What are brain endocasts and what can be learned from them?

Endocasts are the most direct evidence for studying human brain evolution. Endocasts can provide information on brain size, general shape, morphology, and anatomical features of the external surface.

What is an endocast what information is derived from an endocast?

An endocast is the internal cast of a hollow object, often referring to the cranial vault in the study of brain development in humans and other organisms. Endocasts can be artificially made for examining the properties of a hollow, inaccessible space, or they may occur naturally through fossilization.