Articles tagged with Brain Evolution
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Research suggests factors beyond sociality influence brain anatomy in carnivores, contradicting the 'social brain' hypothesis. Female lions have larger frontal cortices due to their social demands, while cheetahs have smaller brains that support their high-speed pursuits.
A new study reconstructs virtual brains from ancient primate skulls, showing that early primates developed larger brains after specialization in vision and neurological functions. The findings suggest that modern primates' large brains are a result of evolutionary adaptations rather than innate traits.
A study of army ants led by Drexel University professor Sean O'Donnell found that certain species regained vision and developed larger brains after moving back to the surface. The ants' brains showed increased investment in visual processing, smell, and overall cognitive function compared to underground-dwelling relatives.
A new study suggests that as social behavior evolved in insects, the need for complex cognition in individuals decreased. Solitary wasp species have larger brains than their social counterparts, indicating a shift from individual to distributed cognition.
A research team analyzed gyrencephaly index of 100 mammalian brains to identify a threshold value that separates species into two groups: highly folded and less folded. The study found differences in cortical folding did not evolve linearly across species, with life-history traits influencing brain development.
A new study reveals the cerebellum expanded up to six times faster than expected in human and ape evolution, shifting focus from the neocortex. The findings suggest technical intelligence was equally important as social intelligence in human cognitive evolution.
A research team led by Mathew Diamond found that rats have a 'working memory' system, conceptually similar to humans', which enables them to recognize and interact with environmental stimuli.
Studies of early development in fishes reveal a single compartment in the hindbrain controlling vocal and pectoral mechanisms, which may explain why humans use hand gestures when speaking. This neural connection could be key to understanding the evolution of language.
A new analysis suggests that brain size relative to body size is driven by different evolutionary mechanisms in different animals, with changes in body size often occurring independently of changes in brain size.
A 15-year study found that brain parts can respond to evolutionary stimuli independently, contradicting previous concerted evolution theories. The research identified specific gene sets controlling the size of different brain parts, with little correlation between overall brain and body sizes.
A team of researchers has discovered that the Taung fossil's persistent metopic suture may have evolved as an adaptation for giving birth to babies with larger brains, allowing for rapid brain growth after birth. This finding suggests a complex interplay between childbirth and upright walking in the evolution of human brain size.
Researchers analyzed a 2-million-year-old skull from Sediba, suggesting a more 'mosaic' pattern of human brain evolution. The brain was found to be primitive but with early glimmers of reorganization towards a human pattern.
Researchers found that advancements in brain anatomy and signal processing allowed mormyrids to fully exploit electric signal space, leading to rapid speciation. The study revealed two equally parsimonious ways to reconstruct the fish's evolutionary history, challenging current understanding of brain development.
The study found that planning complex tasks was key for making sophisticated hand axes, suggesting higher cognition involved. The results point to links between tool-making and language evolution, with the brain's Broca's area playing a role.
A team of scientists found that brain size evolved differently in various primate lineages, with some species experiencing decreases in brain mass despite larger body sizes. This challenges the long-held assumption that evolution always results in bigger brains.
Researchers reconstruct primate brain evolution to clarify the Hobbit's brain size, suggesting a strong selective advantage for increased brainpower. The study supports the hypothesis that the Hobbit's small brain was adapted to local ecological conditions on Flores.
Researchers found distinct brain structure differences between queens and workers of eight New World social wasp species, linked to their respective social roles. Brain regions responded to specific challenges, such as vision and chemical communication, revealing the importance of environment in shaping brain architecture.
A well-preserved 54-million-year-old skull from the Plesiadapiform group revealed that primitive primates relied more on smell than sight. The study's findings narrow the possibilities for what caused primates to evolve larger brain sizes, contradicting common assumptions about brain structure and evolution.
Researchers identified a brain region associated with novel experiences, which may drive humans to take risks for rewards. This discovery could have implications for understanding addiction and decision-making.
Scientists found that orangutans confined to resource-limited areas of Borneo had smaller brains than those living in more abundant Sumatra. The study suggests an evolutionary connection between food availability and brain size in primates.
According to Dr. Stephen Cunnane, early humans' diet of shore-based food provided essential nutrients for brain growth, including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and iodine. This diet helped launch Homo sapiens brains past their primate peers, sparking the growth of the human brain.
Researchers at UC San Diego found that damage to a specific brain area, the angular gyrus, affects patients' ability to comprehend metaphors. The study suggests that this region plays a crucial role in processing conceptual metaphors and cross-modal abstractions.
Researchers discovered a significant swelling of the frontal lobe and other features consistent with higher cognitive processes in the brain of Homo floresiensis, nicknamed the 'hobbit'. The study refutes skeptics' suppositions that the species was a pygmy or microcephalic.
Dolphin brains are significantly larger than expected for their body size, with some species having brain sizes comparable to those of modern humans. This study suggests that cetaceans may possess cognitive abilities similar to those of great apes, challenging traditional views of human exceptionalism.