Evolution of the laryngeal motor cortex for speech production

Considerable progress has been recently made in understanding the brain mechanisms underlying speech and language control. One of the important but oftentimes overlooked aspects of speech production is the ability of the primary motor cortex to control fine movements of the laryngeal muscles for the production of learned vocalizations. In this respect, the laryngeal motor cortex is indispensable not only for the development of novel articulatory sequences but also for coordination of sensorimotor interactions for smooth speech motor output. In this chapter, we discuss the comparative organization and function of the laryngeal motor cortex in humans and non-human primates and provide some insights into the evolutionary importance of this cortical region in shaping human speaking.