The superior temporal sulcus is the sulcus

Sulcus (neuroanatomy)

In neuroanatomy, a sulcus is a depression or fissure in the surface of the brain.It surrounds the gyri, creating the characteristic appearance of the brain in humans and other large mammals....

 separating the superior temporal gyrus

Superior temporal gyrus

The superior temporal gyrus is one of three gyri in the temporal lobe of the human brain, which is located laterally to the head, situated somewhat above the external ear.The superior temporal gyrus is bounded by:* the lateral sulcus above;...

from the middle temporal gyrus

Middle temporal gyrus

Middle temporal gyrus is a gyrus in the brain on the Temporal lobe. It is located between the superior temporal gyrus and inferior temporal gyrus. Its exact function is unknown, but it has been connected with processes as different as contemplating distance, recognition of known faces, and...

in the temporal lobe

Temporal lobe

The temporal lobe is a region of the cerebral cortex that is located beneath the Sylvian fissure on both cerebral hemispheres of the mammalian brain....

 of the brain

Brain

The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...

. The superior temporal sulcus is the first sulcus inferior to the lateral fissure.

It is involved in the perception of where others are gazing and is thus important in determining where others' emotions are being directed. It is also involved in the perception of biological motion

Biological motion

Biological motion is a term used by social and cognitive neuroscientists to refer to the unique visual phenomenon of a moving, animate object. Often, the stimuli used in biological motion experiments are just a few moving dots that reflect the motion of some key joints of the moving organism...

.