a) Developmental phases of the representation of the human face pattern, (dubbed "neolithic face" pattern or NF). This development may be in association with the late evolving and early regression of the parieto-occipital brain region (from newborns to pathology such as prosop-agnosia; chronic alcoholism). Might NF also serve as a possible triage-like marker for early dementia or early HIV infection?

b) Methods used: "Draw-A-Person-With-face-in Front- (DAPF), a one-min test, determined with a ruler; [3, Fig 1]. (Optionally, the Kohs Block Design test (culture-fair modified) may be added,).

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c) Amygdalar short cut processing (a second visual path?), bypassing refined parieto-occipital evaluation, underlying NF [5].

Description of ":neolithic face" pattern (e.g. [3, Fig 1]

NF appears under a broad variety of conditions related to intra-pattern visual-spatial relational representation. (This differs from inter-object map-like representations). NF prevalence ranges from neocortical immaturity to individual or eco-cultural under-use and lack of practice to regressive pathological dysfunctioning.

The specific subtly incorrect intra-pattern visuo-spatial representation of the face pattern was dubbed “neolithic face” (NF) because it prevailed very significantly during the period of “neolithic art ” worldwide", a period designated as illiterate by definition.

NF is characterized by an omission of the subtle intra-spatial relations around the root (bridge) of the nose areas. Thereby the forehead is continuous with the nose without any indication of discontinuity, indentation or narrowing) [3. Fig 1] (or AA Pontius,”Dyslexia – Dysgraphia" in R. Dubeco (Ed) Encyclopedia of Human Biology 1997; Vol 3, 513-527, Fig. 1) .

"Neolithic face"' NF) pattern in a great variety of inter-related instances:

1) Drawings and spontaneous art objects in contemporary near stone-age people and hunter-gatherers in remote areas on four continents collected over two decades, beginning 1971. The proportion of NF prevalence in pre-literates showed a significant positive correlation with the results from UNESCO's direct reading and writing tests as well as with the tested countries' official illliteracy rates printed in their Yearbooks) . - Before-and after studies showed a significant increase in accurate face drawings correlated positively with the availability of literacy instruction.

Thus, "eco-cultural ' deprivation" and lack of practice, had apparently been an essential factor of such peoples' lack of literacy, dubbed "ecological dyslexia" [3]

2) In Western newborns (up to 4 months old] the wide mouth reflex-like automatic "smiling response" was significantly faster released ( p < 0.001) by 2 "neolithic" face masks than by 4 control face masks, including the natural human face [6].

3) "Western" pre-schoolers (c. 25%) still drew NF;

4) 62% of Western 4th graders of Heidelberg, "blindly" rated as dyslexics" drew NF.

5) 19% of Colonial North American stone masons (their illiteracy rate officially reported at c. 20%), who had been the untrained "artists" of 1500 evaluated gravestones with human (angel) faces (up to 1830) produced NF [7]

6) Prosop-agnosic patients no longer recognize the familiar human face, because it appears to them as "flattened out", "without relief" (the essentials of NF), and their few face drawings shown in the literature prefer NF.

7) Skid row alcoholics who had been literates,produced 22% NF as against 12% of their controls.

Persistence of complete NF even in one-sided "neglect" due to right parieto-occipital tumor

Supporting the assumed innateness of the "neolithic face" pattern as a schema , is an unwittingly published drawing by AR Luria "Higher Cortical Functions in Man", New York: Basic Books 1980, p 137, Fig. 37 . This shows "copies" by a patient with a tumor of he right parieto-occipital region, who had a loss of the left half of the field of vision. Accordingly he omitted the left side of all patterns he had to copy, but his "copies" of human faces depicted both sides of NF.

Constant fear for life as another factor to draw "neolithic face" patterns,

Amygdalar shortcut processing had been hypothesized to be linked with NF's coarse but faster (thereby potentially life-saving) production under persistent conditions of fear for life, [5 full text on RG] hypothesized by A. Pontius 1997 (Harvard Research Day poster). This 1997 hypothesis had been based on the prevalence of NF drawings by warring as against peaceful tribes in SW Ethiopia, The hypothesis, turned out to be consistent with that proposed by neuroscientists' research on amygdalar visual proessing (fMRI, ERPS) , producing a "blurred face".(S. L. Helmut. Fear and trembling in the amygdala. Science 2003;300:568-569., Fig. 1).

(References (so far listed in RG Profile)

1. JAMWA 1974;29:435-444

2. Experientia 1976;32:1432-1435

3. Percept Mot Skills 1982;55:1191-1200 (Fig.1)

4 Brain & Cognition 1989:10:54-75

5. Aggression & Violent Behavior. 2005;10:363-373 (full tcxt)

6 Experientia 1975;31;126-129

7. Experientia 1982,38:577-580.