Well, it hasn't been all that easy finding research that relates directly to what I've been looking for in terms of attentional abilities, but our neuroscientists are getting it done. In the book THE ATTENTIVE BRAIN, chapter 18 "Executive Attention: Conflict, Target Detection, and Cognitive Control", the authors cite research that supports the idea that infants at around 10 months have trouble "concentrating" in the manner I mean it, while at 18 months, this ability is common. This gives a background for determining the basic brain structuring involved in the function of concentrating as well as giving a strong relative date for common development of the basic ability. A.B Clohessy and Michael Posner are two of the cited researchers on this topic.
This is exciting because it points the direction for determining a solid anatomical foundation for this second step. Most likely, adequate research already exists for distinguishing the stage of Understanding. Beyond that stage, the abilities may be less dependent on developments in anatomical structure, although they will be related to changes in anatomical structure. For example, mindfulness may come more easily once we're through the chemical firestorm, neuronal growth, and pruning that adolescence brings--related to physical changes in adolescence while not being so directly dependent upon changes in anatomical structure because it is so directly influenced by chemical elements, hormones.
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