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If you were someone who understood brain anatomy and were to look at the brain of an animal
that you had never seen before, you would nevertheless be able to deduce the likely capacities of
the animal. This is because the brains of all animals are very similar in overall form. In each
animal the brain is layered, and the basic structures of the brain are similar (see Figure 3.6 "The
Major Structures in the Human Brain"). The innermost structures of the brain—the parts nearest
the spinal cord—are the oldest part of the brain, and these areas carry out the same the functions
they did for our distant ancestors. The “old brain” regulates basic survival functions, such as
breathing, moving, resting, and feeding, and creates our experiences of emotion. Mammals,
including humans, have developed further brain layers that provide more advanced functions—
for instance, better memory, more sophisticated social interactions, and the ability to experience
emotions. Humans have a very large and highly developed outer layer known as the cerebral
cortex (see Figure 3.7 "Cerebral Cortex"), which makes us particularly adept at these processes.