While we're certain humans have always had a hippocampus as long as we can remember, it was discovered in 1564. It is a section of the brain located below the cerebral cortex. It is a part of the limbic system and plays a part in memory. The name derives from the fact that its curved shape resembles that of a sea horse (Greek: hippocampus). There is substantial evidence that the hippocampus is crucial in the conversion of short term memory into long memory, though it is not yet clear how this occurs. Individuals whose hippocampus becomes damaged, whilst retaining the ability to access long-term memories from before their injury, become unable to form new ones.