The transverse temporal gyri (also called Heschl's gyri or Heschl's convolutions) are found in the area of primary auditory cortex buried within the lateral sulcus of the human brain, occupying Brodmann area 41. It is the first cortical structure to process incoming auditory information. Anatomically, the transverse temporal gyri are distinct in that they run mediolaterally (towards the center of the brain), rather than front to back as all other temporal lobe gyri run.
The transverse temporal gyri are active during auditory processing under fMRI for tone and semantic tasks.