Mastodawn

Neurofrontiers May 10, 2025

It seems reasonable to assume that bigger brains can pack more neurons, so they must be smarter.

But that’s not how evolution works. The brain of a larger animal isn’t just a scaled-up version of a smaller one, it can actually be structured differently. In this article, we explain what that means and why “bigger” doesn’t always mean “more computational power”.

P.S.: Not everything made it into the final version, but I had so much fun reading in-depth about the brain structure of various animals. Just another reminder that nature rules.

https://neurofrontiers.blog/when-it-comes-to-brains-size-doesnt-matter-much/

#neuroscience #neuroanatomy #brain #BrainSize #science

When it comes to brains, size doesn't matter much - Neurofrontiers

Or why whales aren't running the world.

Neurofrontiers

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Radical Anthropology Oct 17, 2024

In 'Egalitarianism made us the symbolic species', biosocial anthropologist #CamillaPower opposes the idea that just anything goes in our evolution as Homo sapiens. While Graeber and Wengrow say about our speciation that ‘we have next to no idea what was happening’, we can be fairly confident about what wasn’t happening - patriarchy! This hypothesised trajectory of change in ‘dominance’ relations reflects change in brain size through Pleistocene Homo evolution. The very large brain sizes of the period of our speciation are predicted to associate with significant egalitarianism. Our anatomy, psychology and cognition provide evidence for constraints. The evolution of cooperative eyes, intersubjectivity, large brains, a ratchet effect of cultural accumulation and language itself needed stable, protracted periods in sociopolitical contexts of egalitarianism. Gender relations must be pivotal in the processes of increasing levels of social tolerance and aversion to inequity.

#biosocial #anthropology #evolution #brainsize #maternalenergetics #cognition #egalitarian #cooperativechildcare
https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/hgr.2022.2

AutisticMumTo3 Jul 9, 2024

CW: Paywall. New Scientist

Why did humans evolve big brains? A new idea bodes ill for our future | New Scientist

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26334991-100-why-did-humans-evolve-big-brains-a-new-idea-bodes-ill-for-our-future/

#Brain
#BrainSize
#HominidBrains
#HumanBrains
#BigBrains
#BrainShrinkage
#Paleontology
#Archeology
#ModernHumans
#Evolution

Why did humans evolve big brains? A new idea bodes ill for our future

Recent fossil finds suggest that big brains weren't an evolutionary asset to our ancestors but evolved by accident – and are likely to shrink again in the near future

New Scientist

Leisureguy Feb 22, 2024

External fermentation of food may be the key to the evolution of increased brain size.

It wasn't fire (cooked food has more bioavailable energy than raw) because brain size started increasing a million years before fire was tamed and used.

Interesting new study and brief summary article — see:

https://leisureguy.ca/2024/02/22/external-fermentation/

#food #evolution #brainSize #fermentation

Was external fermentation the key to increased brain size?

Katherine L. Bryant, Christi Hansen, and Erin E. Hecht have an intriguing research paper published by Nature as a communication in biology. The abstract gives the essence of the argument: Brain tis…

Later On

Matt Willemsen Sep 18, 2023

Sing Smart: Vocal Learning Linked to Problem Solving Skills and Brain Size
A study reveals European starlings are not just advanced vocal learners but also adept problem solvers, suggesting a co-evolution of vocal learning, cognitive abilities, and relative brain size.
https://scitechdaily.com/sing-smart-vocal-learning-linked-to-problem-solving-skills-and-brain-size/ #vocal #skills #learning #problem #solving #BrainSize #cognitive

Sing Smart: Vocal Learning Linked to Problem Solving Skills and Brain Size

A study reveals European starlings are not just advanced vocal learners but also adept problem solvers, suggesting a co-evolution of vocal learning, cognitive abilities, and relative brain size. The European starling has an impressive array of skills. Known for their adaptability in learning vari

SciTechDaily

Julie Webgirl Jun 23, 2023

Ha!

Regular napping linked to larger brain volume

#Napping #Naps #BrainSize #BrainHealth
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2023/jun/regular-napping-linked-larger-brain-volume

Regular napping linked to larger brain volume

Daytime napping may help to preserve brain health by slowing the rate at which our brains shrink as we age, suggests a new study led by researchers at UCL and the University of the Republic in Uruguay.

UCL News

AutisticMumTo3 Mar 31, 2023

Bird-brained? Climate change may affect intelligence in birds - Raw Story - Celebrating 19 Years of Independent Journalism
#Birds
#Intelligence
#ClimateChange
#BrainSize
#Brain
https://www.rawstory.com/bird-brained-climate-change-may-affect-intelligence-in-birds-2659695394/

Bird-brained? Climate change may affect intelligence in birds

Large brains are a hallmark of human evolution. Brains allow us to make sense of the world and to successfully navigate through our lives. Bigger brains are valuable because they provide increased flexibility to deal with everyday problems, allowing them to make better decisions, learn difficult ski...

Raw Story - Celebrating 19 Years of Independent Journalism

Per Funke Mar 13, 2023

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/brain-insect-fruit-fly-detail-nerve-cell

This leads, not unexpectedly to:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2776484/

A tip: Alternative theory 3 at the end of that article contain what they want to say, everything above it is an orientation about what has been done before.
Nice article. Wikipedia can explain most of the hard-to-understand words.
#brain #brainsize #wiring