The brain of René Descartes (1650): A neuro-anatomical analysis

Philippe Charlier (1) , Isabelle Huynh-Charlier , Philippe Froesch , Russell Shorto , Nadia Benmoussa , Alain Froment (2) , Dominique Grimaud-Herve (3) , Saudamini Deo , Anaïs Augias , Lou Albessard , Antoine Balzeau (3)

1 LAAB - Laboratoire Anthropologie, Archéologie, Biologie
2 PALOC - Patrimoines Locaux et Gouvernance
3 HNHP - Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique

The skull of René Descartes is held in the National Museum of Natural History since the 19th c. Up to date, only anthropological examinations were carried out, focusing on the cranial capacity and phrenological interpretation of the skull morphology. Using CT-scan based 3D technology, a reconstruction of the endocast was performed, allowing for its first complete description and inter-disciplinary analysis: assessment of metrical and non-metrical features, retrospective diagnosis of anatomical anomalies, and confrontation with neuro-psychological abilities of this well-identified individual.

Mots clés: Forensic anthropology Individual identification Retrospective diagnosis Endocast Neuroanatomy Virtual reconstruction

Domaines: Anthropologie biologique; Archéologie et Préhistoire

Philippe Charlier, Isabelle Huynh-Charlier, Philippe Froesch, Russell Shorto, Nadia Benmoussa, et al.. The brain of René Descartes (1650): A neuro-anatomical analysis. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 2017, 378, pp.12-18. ⟨10.1016/j.jns.2017.04.031⟩. ⟨mnhn-02106813⟩