Pituitary gland Pituitary gland In vertebrate anatomy, the pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea and weighing in humans. It is a protrusion off the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain. The hypophysis rests upon the hypophysial fossa of the sphenoid bone in the center of the middle cranial fossa and is surrounded by a small bony cavity (sella turcica) covered by a dural fold (diaphragma sellae). The anterior pituitary (or adenohypophysis) is a lobe of the gland that regulates several physiological processes (including stress, growth, reproduction, and lactation). The intermediate
Evolution of the brain as we progressed along the human timeline of evolution (see Homininae), starting from about 600 cm in "Homo habilis" up to 1600 cm in "Homo neanderthalensis" (male averages). The increase in brain size topped with Neanderthals; Brain size of "Homo sapiens" varies significantly between population (races), with male averages ranging between about 1,200 to 1,450 cm. Evolution of the brain The principles that govern the evolution of brain structure are not well understood. Brain to body size does not scale isometrically (in a linear fashion) but rather allometrically. The brains and bodies of mammals do not scale linearly. Small bodied