Chet C. Sherwood

Assistant Professor of Anthropology
E-mail sherwood@gwu.edu
Office: 2112 G St., 102 / (202) 994-6346
Lab: Ross Hall 611 / (202) 994-5923

Dr. Sherwood is a biological anthropologist interested in brain evolution and its behavioral correlates in primates and other mammals.

Research

Dr. Sherwood's comparative neuroanatomical research has focused on issues related to allometric scaling at macro- and microanatomical levels, brain asymmetry and behavioral lateralization, evolutionary changes in human language area homologues, the anatomical basis of phylogenetic differences in orofacial motor capacities, and neurochemical substrates of cognitive differences among primate species.

Current Research Projects

1. Investigations of histological differences in neocortical organization of primate species, including great apes and humans
   
2. Examination of the correlation between behavioral lateralization, gross anatomical asymmetries, and histological asymmetries in chimpanzees and capuchin monkeys
   
3. Exploration of the phenotypic and genotypic changes that accompany the evolution of encephalization across different mammalian groups

Click here to read more about Dr. Sherwood's research.

Selected Publications

Articles and Book Chapters

2008	Raghanti, M.A., C.D. Stimpson, J.L. Marcinkiewicz, J.M. Erwin, P.R. Hof, and C.C. Sherwood. "Differences in Cortical Serotonergic Innervation among Humans, Chimpanzees, and Macaque Monkeys: A Comparative Study," Cerebral Cortex 18: 584-597.
2007	Sherwood, C.C., E. Wahl, J.M. Erwin, P.R. Hof, and W.D. Hopkins. "Histological Asymmetries of Primary Motor Cortex Predict Handedness in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)," The Journal of Comparative Neurology 503: 525-537.
2007	Sherwood, C.C., and P.R. Hof. "The Evolution of Neuron Types and Cortical Histology in Apes and Humans. In: The Evolution of Primate Nervous Systems. In T.M. Preuss and J.H. Kaas, eds., Evolution of Nervous Systems, Vol. 4. Oxford: Academic Press, pp. 355-378.
2006	Sherwood, C.C., C.D. Stimpson, M.A. Raghanti, D.E. Wildman, M. Uddin, L.I. Grossman, M. Goodman, J.C. Redmond, C.J. Bonar, J.M. Erwin, and P.R. Hof. "Evolution of Increased Glia-Neuron Ratios in the Human Frontal Cortex," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 103: 13606-13611.

Courses Taught

Anth 001: Introduction to Biological Anthropology
Anth 149: Evolution of the Human Brain
Homp 301: Problem-Based Learning Seminar