Reflections on the Mirror Neuron System: Their Evolutionary Functions Beyond Motor Representation

The discovery of the mirror neuron system by Rizzolatti and his colleagues began with a chance observation, but has since inspired 15 years of research into the properties, functions, and dysfunction of this system. Though much has been learned about this system of neurons, many questions still remain. What defines a mirror neuron? What is the extent of its involvement in social behaviors? How do these neurons develop? What is the potential for therapeutic interventions targeting these neurons? We aim to explore these questions in the following chapter and suggest that the current characterization of this system maybe more restrictive than necessary. We suggest that mirror neurons are endowed with the precise properties allowing for complex remapping from one domain into another, which may lead to behaviors which arguably distinguish humans from all the other animals, namely our abilities to interact socially, understand others thoughts and emotions, communicate using complex language, and the ability to reflect on ourselves.