Abstract: Analysis of the design principles and operational modes of the primate brain shows that the neocortex is uniformly organized and composed of neural processing units(or modules)interacting over fairly short distances. These processing units operate as prewired neural assemblies where individual neurons are configured to execute fairly complex transactions. Their widespread occurrence, furthermore, qualifies them to be considered as fundamental building blocks in neural evolution. We are beginning to understand some of the geometric, biophysical and energy constraints that have governed the evolution of these neuronal networks. In fact, the basic structural uniformity of the neocortex suggests that there are general architectural principles governing its growth and evolutionary development. Overall, one can say that the development of the primate neocortex does seem to coordinate folding with connectivity in a way that produces smaller and faster brains, then otherwise would have been possible.